GraphSense is an open-source cryptoasset analytics platform, first developed in 2015 at the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) and now maintained in collaboration with the Complexity Science Hub.
Iknaio Cryptoasset Analytics GmbH was founded in 2021 by the creators of GraphSense. It provides GraphSense as a hosted service with near real-time data updates and develops commercial extensions — such as Pathfinder, CaseConnect, QuickLock, and TaxReport — built on top of the open-source platform.
In short: GraphSense is the open-source software stack (MIT-licensed). Iknaio is the company that operates, maintains, and extends it commercially. Development is jointly driven by Iknaio, the Complexity Science Hub, and AIT.
| GraphSense | Iknaio | |
|---|---|---|
| What | Open-source analytics platform | Commercial service & extensions |
| License | MIT | Proprietary (extensions) |
| Access | Self-hosted via GitHub | Hosted at app.iknaio.com / api.iknaio.com |
| Scope | Core analytics engine, REST API, dashboard, TagPacks | Pathfinder, CaseConnect, QuickLock, TaxReport, managed infrastructure |
There are two ways to use GraphSense:
If you do not want to operate your own infrastructure, Iknaio provides GraphSense-as-a-Service with near real-time data:
The complete GraphSense software stack is available on GitHub under the MIT license. Self-hosting gives you full data sovereignty and the ability to run custom analytics jobs.
See the Setup and Installation section below for hardware requirements and deployment guidance.
Iknaio has produced tutorial videos demonstrating how to use the GraphSense dashboard and API.
Check out the tutorials at: https://www.iknaio.com/learning
GraphSense must process billions of transactions and therefore builds on top of Apache Spark and Cassandra, which are highly scalable computing and analytics infrastructures.
In our production environment, we use an Apache Spark/Cassandra cluster with the following hardware components:
All nodes are connected via bonded 40Gbit ethernet interfaces and a corresponding switch.
If you do not want to host GraphSense yourself, consider using the hosted service offered by Iknaio.
Q: Can I run GraphSense on my local computer or a Raspberry Pi?
GraphSense processes billions of transactions and requires substantial RAM and disk space. A typical personal computer does not have sufficient hardware resources. You can, however, run each component in development mode. Please check the README files in each repository.
Q: Can I run the GraphSense Dashboard without setting up an Apache Spark / Cassandra cluster?
The GraphSense Dashboard is a web application running on the client side (in your browser). It only needs a GraphSense REST API endpoint for retrieving data. You can operate your own endpoint or use the one provided by Iknaio.
Q: Can I run GraphSense in the cloud?
Technically yes, but deployment procedures are currently designed for on-premises environments and may require adaptation for cloud providers.
Q: Why do you run GraphSense on-premises and not in the cloud?
We use GraphSense for advanced research analysis tasks and move large volumes of data, which can become expensive in cloud environments. We also consider that complete data control and autonomy require a degree of independence from third-party infrastructure in the long term.
Q: How often is the data updated?
GraphSense is software; update frequency depends on the operator. The Iknaio-hosted instance updates data near real-time.
Q: Does GraphSense support real-time updates?
Yes. Using the ingest and delta-update features of GraphSense Lib, a near real-time system can be built.
Q: How are entity and abuse types assigned to addresses?
They are assigned manually via GraphSense TagPacks.
Q: How does GraphSense use the labels and categories provided by dashboard users?
It does not. Labels, tags, and categories assigned by the user are stored on the client side only and are never sent to the server.
Q: Who is behind GraphSense, and who is driving development?
GraphSense has a strong research background. Development is driven by the GraphSense core team, whose members work for Iknaio Cryptoasset Analytics GmbH, the Complexity Science Hub, and the AIT — Austrian Institute of Technology. Iknaio was founded in 2021 by the creators of GraphSense and provides the platform as a hosted service along with commercial extensions.
Q: Who is funding GraphSense?
GraphSense development relies on contributions from its core developers at Iknaio, the Complexity Science Hub, and AIT. Historically, development has been supported by a series of public research grants:
Q: Why not use an existing cryptocurrency analytics tool?
GraphSense development is driven by the needs of project partners and our own research. No existing commercial tool provides the combination we consider essential for advanced analysis: complete control over collected data and the ability to run customised analytics jobs. GraphSense is designed for data-driven cryptoasset analytics.
Q: I need a specific new feature — can you provide it?
Let us know what you need, ideally by filing a feature request issue in the relevant repository (e.g., the GraphSense Dashboard or the GraphSense REST API). Alternatively, write to contact@graphsense.org. Whether we can implement a feature depends on whether it aligns with our research and development roadmap.