What is Shinzō?
Shinzō is a decentralized, trustless, and verifiable indexing network that transforms how applications access blockchain data. In traditional blockchain ecosystems, reading structured on-chain data requires relying on centralized indexers, hosted APIs, or proprietary middleware. These intermediaries determine what data is available, how it is formatted, and when it can be accessed, introducing trust assumptions, performance bottlenecks, and a fundamental contradiction to blockchain’s principles of decentralization and permissionlessness.
Shinzō introduces a new model: the read layer becomes part of the blockchain itself.
Validator-Embedded Indexing
Instead of outsourcing indexing to external companies, Shinzō empowers the blockchain’s own validators, the nodes already responsible for producing and verifying blocks to index data at the moment it is created. Validators run a lightweight Shinzō client alongside their normal node software, enabling them to:
- Extract and structure blockchain data in real time
- Publish verifiable, censorship-resistant indexes
- Make on-chain state accessible without third-party trust
This transforms indexing into a native network-level function, not an external service.
A Local-First, Trustless Read Layer
Shinzō̄ goes beyond decentralized indexing. It establishes a local-first, permissionless read layer, making access to blockchain data as trust-minimized and verifiable as writing to it.
Shinzō provides:
Validator-Embedded Data Access
Data is indexed and verified at the source of truth, directly by the network's validators.
Peer-to-Peer Synchronization
Structured blockchain data replicates across nodes, remaining available even when offline or disconnected from centralized services.
Cross-Network Transformation
Data can flow seamlessly across chains, applications, and environments without breaking trust assumptions or relying on centralized relayers.
Next Steps
- Join the Shinzo Indexer Cohort: Apply here
- Participate in the Shinzo Devnet: Join here
- Checkout guide on how to build apps with Shinzō