> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sqd.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# SQD Network

> SQD Network is a decentralized data lake serving historical blockchain data for 200+ chains — workers store chunks and gateways stream them at near-zero cost.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/sqd-2119b3c3/Kx7YspEVpTTxfIRc/images/home/network.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Kx7YspEVpTTxfIRc&q=85&s=21c1efac1fea81c5cdd5b0eed79bb9ed" alt="SQD Network - Access blockchain data through decentralized infrastructure" width="1440" height="600" data-path="images/home/network.png" />
</Frame>

SQD Network is a distributed query engine and data lake that powers the SQD ecosystem. It serves historical blockchain data for 200+ networks, enabling you to access data at near-zero cost with granular filtering and efficient batch processing.

<Info>
  SQD Network provides superior data access compared to conventional chain node
  RPCs through its rich streaming and filtering capabilities, allowing you to
  query multiple blocks simultaneously.
</Info>

## How SQD Network Works

SQD Network stores blockchain data in a distributed data lake, making it available through **SQD Portal**, a high-performance data access interface that fetches data chunks from multiple worker nodes in parallel.

Portal exposes a streaming HTTP API optimized for data extraction at scale. It handles pagination, finality tracking, and reorg compensation automatically, so you can focus on building your application rather than managing infrastructure complexity.

You can access the network in three ways:

1. **Use managed Portal endpoints** - SQD-hosted endpoints provide instant access to 200+ networks with zero setup
2. **Self-host Portal** - Run your own Portal instance alongside your nodes for complete data sovereignty
3. **Use the SDK** - Build production indexers with TypeScript SDKs that abstract Portal's API into a developer-friendly interface

<Tip>
  Learn more about Portal and how it transforms blockchain data access in the
  [Portal overview](/en/portal/overview).
</Tip>

## Network Options

SQD Network operates in two configurations, both freely accessible and using the same Portal API:

<div className="overflow-x-auto my-8">
  <table className="w-full text-sm border-collapse">
    <thead>
      <tr className="border-b-2 border-slate-300 dark:border-slate-600">
        <th className="text-left p-3 font-semibold text-gray-900 dark:text-white">
          Feature
        </th>

        <th className="text-left p-3 font-semibold text-gray-900 dark:text-white">
          Permissionless Network
        </th>

        <th className="text-left p-3 font-semibold text-gray-900 dark:text-white">
          Private Network
        </th>
      </tr>
    </thead>

    <tbody className="text-gray-700 dark:text-gray-400">
      <tr className="border-b border-slate-200 dark:border-slate-700">
        <td className="p-3 font-medium">Status</td>
        <td className="p-3">Mainnet (Portal in public beta)</td>
        <td className="p-3">Production-ready</td>
      </tr>

      <tr className="border-b border-slate-200 dark:border-slate-700">
        <td className="p-3 font-medium">Infrastructure</td>
        <td className="p-3">Fully decentralized</td>
        <td className="p-3">Operated by Subsquid Labs GmbH</td>
      </tr>

      <tr className="border-b border-slate-200 dark:border-slate-700">
        <td className="p-3 font-medium">Participation</td>
        <td className="p-3">Anyone can run workers or delegate</td>
        <td className="p-3">Permissioned</td>
      </tr>

      <tr className="border-b border-slate-200 dark:border-slate-700">
        <td className="p-3 font-medium">Networks supported</td>
        <td className="p-3">Almost all</td>
        <td className="p-3">200+ networks</td>
      </tr>
    </tbody>
  </table>
</div>

<Note>
  Both networks are free to query. See the [complete list of supported
  networks](/en/data/networks/evm) for gateway URLs and network details.
</Note>

## Participate in the Permissionless Network

The decentralized network is now in mainnet, and you can participate in two ways:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Run a Worker Node" icon="server" href="/en/network/worker">
    Contribute storage and compute resources to the network and earn SQD tokens
  </Card>

  <Card title="Delegate SQD Tokens" icon="coins" href="/en/network/delegate">
    Reward high-performing workers and share in their profits
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Get Started with SQD Network

Ready to build with SQD Network? Choose your path:

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Portal API" icon="plug" href="/en/portal/evm/quickstart">
    Query blockchain data directly via HTTP API
  </Card>

  <Card title="Build with SDK" icon="code" href="/en/sdk/overview">
    Create production indexers with TypeScript SDKs
  </Card>

  <Card title="Browse Networks" icon="globe" href="/en/data/networks/evm">
    View all 200+ supported networks and gateway URLs
  </Card>
</CardGroup>