Build a GraphQL Geospatial Indexer for Attestations on api.astral.global

[johnx25bd]

Objective

NOTE: This has been migrated to Logbook issue #38 — coordinate there!

Develop a GraphQL-based geospatial indexer to query and filter attestations from EAS (Ethereum Attestation Service) instances where Astral schemas are deployed. The indexer will serve as a core API hosted at api.astral.global, enabling seamless integration of geospatially enriched attestation data for decentralized applications.

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Proposed Functionality

1. Data Sources

   • Index location attestations from Astral schemas deployed on EAS contracts on different chains.

2. Core Features

   • Geospatial Query Support:

     • Spatial searches (e.g., points within polygons, bounding boxes, or proximity to a point).
     • Temporal filters to query attestations by time range.
     • Schema-specific filters for targeted queries.
     • Text-based filters within memo field

   • Schema-Aware Indexing:

     • Dynamically interpret Astral schema versions and index data accordingly. (So far we only have one version, but we want this to grow with the protocol.)

3. GraphQL Schema

   • Query Types:
     • Retrieve attestations by location, chain, addresses or associated metadata.
     • Perform complex spatial and attribute-based searches.
   • Mutations:
     • Optional support for administrative tasks, such as syncing new schemas or refreshing indexes.

4. Technology Stack

   • Backend: Use PostGIS for data storage, spatial indexing and query capabilities.
   • Deployment: Containerize the application using Docker for easy deployment and scalability.
   • Blockchain Integration: Include connectors to EAS instances to fetch, decode, and validate attestation data in near real-time.

5. Developer Experience

   • Provide a GraphQL playground for testing queries.
   • Include comprehensive API documentation with example use cases.
   • Build SDKs or lightweight helper libraries for streamlined integration.

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Why This is Important

• Provide an API for the Logbook: We want to visualize attestations based on different queries in the Logbook — any advanced indexing needs to be built custom. This is especially true for geospatial queries.
• Unlock Geospatial Insights: Decentralized apps can leverage geospatial attestation data without building custom indexing pipelines.
• Extend EAS Functionality: Makes EAS attestations more actionable for location-based use cases.
• Strengthen Astral’s Value Proposition: Aligns with Astral’s goal to become a hub for decentralized geospatial computing technologies.

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Implementation Preferences

1. Infrastructure:

   • Use PostGIS for efficient spatial indexing and querying.
   • Ensure the indexer is modular and scalable with Docker-based deployment.

2. Integration Options:

   • Fetch attestations directly from EAS smart contracts or via an event listener.
   • Consider fetching + storing images and other files from IPFS. (Note there may be security concerns here.)

3. Deployment:

   • If approved, we'd love to host the GraphQL API at api.astral.global.
   • Provide public and private access tiers for community users and internal projects.

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Open Questions

1. Sync Strategy: Should the indexer fetch attestations in real-time or batch-process historical data? We feel there's a need to have new attestations appear in the indexer quickly — entries should show up in the Logbook UI as soon as they are registered.
2. Extensibility: How do we ensure support for new schemas as they are deployed to EAS instances?
3. Decentralization: Should we prioritize decentralized hosting (e.g., IPFS/Filecoin) for the indexer itself, or focus on centralized deployment initially?

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Call to Action

We’re looking for contributors interested in designing, building, and testing this feature! If you’re experienced with GraphQL, PostGIS, Docker, or EAS, we’d love to collaborate. Share your ideas or get involved in the discussion to help shape this critical component of Astral’s ecosystem.

This is a big project, feel free break it up into several PRs, starting with a strong plan including technical architecture decisions etc.

[johnx25bd]

Migrating this to Issue #38