Glossary
Infrastructure & Data Collection
Node Server The physical infrastructure server hosting both ClickHouse database and Erigon client for Ethereum data collection and storage. This server provides the computing resources necessary to synchronize with the Ethereum network and store blockchain data efficiently.
Chain Data Raw blockchain information retrieved directly from the Ethereum network, including blocks, transactions, logs, and smart contract events. This data forms the foundation of all analytics and is continuously synchronized from the blockchain.
Erigon A high-performance Ethereum client implementation optimized for downloading and storing complete blockchain data. Erigon is used as the primary data collection client to synchronize Ethereum chain data to the node server.
Database & Storage
ClickHouse A columnar analytical database system optimized for fast analytical queries on large datasets. Used to store and analyze Ethereum blockchain data with high performance for aggregations and time-series analysis.
MergeTree ClickHouse's primary table engine that provides efficient data storage, sorting, and partitioning capabilities. Used for most raw data tables like blocks, transactions, and logs.
AggregatingMergeTree A specialized ClickHouse table engine designed for pre-aggregated data storage, enabling efficient incremental aggregation updates. Used for hourly price aggregations and trading metrics.
MaterializedView A ClickHouse feature that automatically transforms and populates target tables as new data arrives. Used to parse raw logs into structured DEX swap data in real-time.
Partitioning Database technique that divides large tables into smaller, more manageable segments based on time periods or block ranges, improving query performance and data management.
Ethereum Blockchain Concepts
Block A fundamental unit of the Ethereum blockchain containing a collection of transactions, timestamp, and metadata. Blocks are produced approximately every 12 seconds and form the sequential chain of the blockchain.
Transaction An atomic operation on the Ethereum blockchain that transfers value, executes smart contracts, or modifies blockchain state. Each transaction has a unique hash and is included in exactly one block.
Log Event data emitted by smart contracts during transaction execution. Logs contain indexed topics and arbitrary data, enabling efficient querying of contract events and state changes.
Gas The computational fee mechanism in Ethereum that measures and prices the computational work required to execute transactions and smart contract operations.
Smart Contract Self-executing code deployed on the Ethereum blockchain that automatically enforces predefined rules and conditions without intermediaries.
DeFi & Trading
DEX (Decentralized Exchange) A blockchain-based trading protocol that enables peer-to-peer cryptocurrency trading without centralized intermediaries. Examples include Uniswap and SushiSwap.
DEX Swap A trade executed on a decentralized exchange where one token is exchanged for another. These swaps are recorded as blockchain transactions and events.
Liquidity Pool A smart contract containing reserves of two or more tokens that enables automated trading through algorithmic market making.
Token A digital asset built on the Ethereum blockchain following standards like ERC-20. Tokens can represent cryptocurrencies, utility tokens, or other digital assets.
WETH (Wrapped Ethereum) An ERC-20 token that represents Ethereum (ETH) in a wrapped format, enabling ETH to be used in DeFi protocols that require ERC-20 compatibility.
VWAP (Volume Weighted Average Price) A trading benchmark that calculates the average price of an asset weighted by trading volume over a specific time period.
Uniswap Protocols
Uniswap V2 The second version of the Uniswap DEX protocol using constant product formula (x * y = k) for automated market making with equal-weight liquidity pools.
Uniswap V3 The third version of Uniswap introducing concentrated liquidity, allowing liquidity providers to specify price ranges for more capital-efficient trading.
Data Processing & Analytics
Materialized View (MV) Pre-computed views that automatically update as underlying data changes, used for real-time data transformation and aggregation in the analytics pipeline.
Hourly Aggregation Time-based data summarization that groups trading and price data into one-hour intervals for efficient analysis and reporting.
Deduplication Process of removing duplicate records from datasets, ensuring data quality and accuracy in analytical queries.
SLA (Service Level Agreement) Defined performance standards for data freshness, availability, and quality. Most tables maintain a 60-minute freshness SLA.
Data Freshness The time delay between when data is generated on-chain and when it becomes available in the analytics database.