We’ve seen algorithms become the lifeblood of the internet - driving infinite recommendations on top of infinite feeds. In web2, these algorithms are complete black boxes (end-to-end), used for one specific application, and manipulated by some interested party. No one knows exactly what inputs are used, what scores are given to people and content, or what models are used for curation. And you can be sure there’s no API to run their models and get their outputs yourself.

This is the first of many Web3 data guides I plan on doing. The goal here is to explain the protocol from a data analyst/engineer’s perspective. These guides aim to bring transparency to the data you see on dashboards, as well as awareness of how well (or not well) protocols are built for data analysis.

We’ve seen various combinations of NFT (ERC721) auctions, ERC20 airdrops, open sales of both, tiered access to the open sales, etc. - all under the guise of making you a “member of the community”. Some have worked well, while others have been flaming piles of garbage.

If you’re completely new to SQL and Ethereum I recommend starting with my full beginners’ overview or breaking down an Ethereum transaction first. Feel free to support my work by buying a Data Landscape edition at the end of the article, or sending a tip to ilemi.eth!

Welcome! I’m assuming you’re a data analyst who is new to web3, starting to build your web3 analytics team, or have just taken an interest in web3 data in general. Either way, you should already be loosely familiar with how APIs, databases, transformations, and models work in web2.

Hopefully, you're familiar with the Web3 product stack, and why it's considered composable. If not, then here's a quick refresher that explains the following layers:

if you’re looking for more web3 data content, check out my 30-day free course (with videos)!

Having a token brings a community together loosely with a financial stake, but composable membership holds a community together long term with social capital. That's a lot of buzzwords, so let’s explore this in three parts:

It's been almost one year since I really entered crypto, which I count as the day I first subscribed to @bankless. It's been quite a fun journey, and I'd love to share the path I took and some of the lessons learned.