The Graph will grant indexing rewards only to chains that prove meaningful traffic, ending free subsidies.

Remember when any shiny new L2 could beg The Graph (FRT) for subsidized queries and waltz away flush with GRT? That buffet is closing. 

Since 2023 the Chain Integration Process showered emerging chains with indexing rewards to bootstrap infrastructure. It was great for experimentation - terrible for sustainability. The network now handles billions of queries each month, and the subsidy tab has grown sharp teeth.

Enter the revamped CIP. Only chains with real adoption get indexing rewards. Show sustained query volume, active subgraphs, and developer engagement or kiss the handouts goodbye. The Graph will still list your chain, but you remain on Studio’s altruistic indexer until traffic justifies protocol funding. 

Indexers cheer because they can target hardware at high-value queries instead of ghost chains. Developers win because spam drops and response times improve, while end-users finally get consistent latencies across popular subgraphs.

Legacy integrations face rolling audits: keep usage high or lose rewards. They’re not expelled, just weaned off gravy. The economic signal is clear: align incentives with real demand, tighten token inflation, and keep infrastructure bills sane.

 Investors see a path to scarcer GRT issuance, potentially lifting valuation metrics. Builders receive a blunt memo: bring users first, subsidies later.

Behind the scenes, core devs have added dashboards that surface per-chain query throughput, uptime, and cost efficiency. That transparency lets indexers dynamically price service levels and helps subgraph owners benchmark performance. 

The Graph also wants off-chain deals for chains in probation (private contracts that pay indexers directly) so experimentation can continue without draining the treasury.Expect fiery forum threads as smaller ecosystems plead their case, but demand-first funding seems locked in. 

By forcing chains to prove market fit, the network shifts focus from hype to utility and should run leaner, quicker, and cheaper. In short, the Graph grows up; efficiency replaces generosity, and indexing rewards become a prize, not a participation trophy. 

Traders may applaud tighter token economics, while serious builders get clearer signals about where to deploy effort.

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