From Graph User to CTO: Sebastian Lorenz Joins Edge & Node
Sebastian Lorenz has joined Edge & Node, a core developer team working on The Graph, as the new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Transitioning from his role as co-founder of Avantgarde Finance, Sebastian brings a wealth of experience and a deep-rooted passion for decentralized technology. His long-standing belief in The Graph’s ethos of decentralized interoperability aligns perfectly with the community’s mission to advance the network's growth and innovation.
Sebastian's Journey with The Graph and His Vision as CTO
Sebastian's journey with The Graph began right after he built his first decentralized application. The existing methods for data readability were inefficient and often hindered development progress. In search of a solution, Sebastian turned to , an open source tool developed & maintained by The Graph ecosystem.
"The Graph’s open-source accessibility was a game-changer," Sebastian recalls. "It encouraged everyone and anyone to dive into the technology, experiment, and contribute."
Embracing the collaborative spirit of The Graph, Sebastian became an active member, contributing numerous improvements and collaborating with ecosystem leaders. His hands-on experience with —The Graph's core data indexing technology—during his tenure at various organizations deepened his understanding of the network's potential.
His dedication and strategic insights led him to join , where he played a pivotal role in guiding the network's direction.
In his new role at Edge & Node, Sebastian brings a developer-centric perspective aimed at expanding what’s possible on the network. He recognizes the need for enhancing data extraction performance, scalability, and tooling at different stages of development for a wide range of developers.
"Data is the lifeblood of any decentralized application," Sebastian emphasizes. "We must focus on technology that enables and encourages our community to build interoperable applications that solve real world problems."
Embracing Composability and Interoperability
Sebastian is spearheading research to develop composable data services that foster a vibrant community of dataset creators and users, enabling diverse applications and use cases.
Sebastian advocates for a shift towards modular and interoperable data primitives based on industry standards. He plans to build industry-trusted software components that are flexible and reusable.
He notes that "By promoting the reuse of data modules, we can streamline development processes and accelerate innovation across the ecosystem."
Revitalizing the Developer Community
Sebastian recognizes the technical challenges posed by decentralization. While centralized SaaS companies can pivot quickly, they often fail to build technology that withstands the test of time, relying on web2 shortcuts. He proposes a pragmatic approach to enhance agility without compromising the core values of web3.
"We need to be agile yet remain true to the principles of decentralization," he explains. "This balance will enable us to build robust technologies that are both innovative and enduring."
Understanding that consumer-facing decentralized applications are crucial for broader adoption, he aims to make enriched blockchain data universally accessible, empowering developers to create more sophisticated and user-friendly dapps.
Sebastian is a strong advocate for community engagement and intends to reignite a vibrant developer community. He believes that promoting collaboration and innovation within the ecosystem is essential for The Graph's continued success.
"This is not about starting over; it's about expanding and building upon our existing successes," he asserts. "Together, we can take The Graph to new heights."
Final Thoughts
Sebastian's appointment as CTO marks an exciting new chapter for Edge & Node and The Graph ecosystem. His dedication to advancing the network forward through innovation, collaboration, and a user-centric approach positions us to achieve new milestones.
The Graph invites developers, contributors, and enthusiasts to join the team in an evolving ecosystem. Under Sebastian's leadership, Edge & Node and The Graph are embarking on a collective journey toward a more open, accessible and interoperable web3 data landscape.
"Let's build the future of decentralized data together," Sebastian encourages. "Our combined efforts will shape the next era of the internet."
and let’s build the future of web3!
About The Graph
is the source of data and information for the decentralized internet. As the original decentralized data marketplace that introduced and standardized subgraphs, The Graph has become web3’s method of indexing and accessing blockchain data. Since its launch in 2018, tens of thousands of developers have for dapps across 90+ blockchains - including Ethereum, Solana, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, Polygon, Celo, Fantom, Gnosis, and Avalanche.
As demand for data in web3 continues to grow, The Graph enters a with a more expansive vision including new data services and query languages, ensuring the decentralized protocol can serve any use case - now and into the future.
Discover more about how The Graph is shaping the future of decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN) and stay connected with the community. Follow The Graph on , , , , , and . Join the community on The Graph’s , join technical discussions on The Graph’s .
oversees The Graph Network. The Graph Foundation is overseen by the . , , , , , and are seven of the many organizations within The Graph ecosystem.
