Indexer
infrastructure · data
Software that parses blockchain data into queryable databases so wallets, explorers, and apps can retrieve information quickly.
- Also known as
- blockchain indexer, indexing node
1.concept
Indexers read blocks, transactions, scripts, logs, or contract events and store derived data in databases optimized for search. They make queries such as address history, token balances, and event timelines practical for applications.
2.tradeoffs
Indexers improve performance but add trust, privacy, and liveness assumptions. A full node verifies consensus data; an indexer shapes that data for convenience and can be wrong, stale, censored, or rate-limited.
Related terms
All terms and definitions may update as the Cryptionary improves.