How to Use Dune and Start Your Research in the Web3 Realm: A Beginner’s Guide to Crypto Analytics

In the world of Web3, data is transparent, decentralized, and constantly evolving. However, transforming that data into insights requires the right tools and knowledge. This is where Dune comes in — a powerful blockchain analytics platform built for querying, visualizing, and sharing real-time blockchain data using SQL.

Whether you're analyzing decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, tracking non-fungible token (NFT) volumes, or evaluating DAO governance metrics, Dune empowers you to move from raw data to actionable insight — no back-end engineering or node maintenance required.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to start conducting Web3 data research with Dune. From writing your first query to publishing a public-facing dashboard, this is your complete beginner’s guide to unlocking the full potential of crypto analytics.

What is Dune Analytics?

Dune is a blockchain data analytics platform that enables users to query public blockchain data, build visualizations, and publish dashboards for public or private consumption. What sets Dune apart is its user-friendly SQL interface, open data architecture, and community-driven approach to analytics.

Key characteristics of Dune include:

• Open access to pre-parsed blockchain data from networks like Ethereum, Optimism, Polygon, BNB Chain, Arbitrum, and others.

• SQL-based querying via a browser-based interface, allowing custom data analysis without the need to run a node.

• Visualization tools that let users create charts, graphs, and interactive dashboards.

• Community content sharing, enabling users to fork, remix, and build upon each other's work.

Dune is particularly valuable for crypto analysts, DeFi teams, NFT projects, DAO treasurers, investors, and journalists who need reliable, real-time data at their fingertips.

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Getting Started: Prerequisites Before Using Dune

To begin using Dune effectively, you will need the following:

1. A Dune Account

Visit dune.com and sign up for a free account. This gives you access to the Query Editor, dashboards, and community features.

2. A Foundational Understanding of SQL

Dune operates entirely through SQL queries. Basic understanding of SQL syntax — including clauses such as SELECT, WHERE, GROUP BY, and JOIN — is essential for creating meaningful queries.

3. A Working Knowledge of Blockchain Terminology

Concepts such as wallet addresses, transactions, gas fees, blocks, smart contracts, and token standards (e.g., ERC-20, ERC-721) are important to understand what your data represents.

Step 1: Query Blockchain Data

Once logged into Dune, your journey begins with querying the blockchain. Here’s how to use the Dune Query Editor to begin data exploration.

Access the Query Editor

Navigate to the Query Editor, which is accessible from the Dune dashboard. This is where you will write and run SQL queries to extract data from blockchain tables.

Writing a Basic Query

Let’s say you want to analyze daily Ethereum activity in 2023. The following SQL query retrieves the number of unique daily active users and passive users:

This query does three things:

• It truncates timestamps to the daily level

• Counts distinct wallet addresses that sent transactions (active users)

• Counts distinct wallet addresses that received transactions (passive users)

Run and Save the Query

Click “Run” to execute the query and verify that it returns the intended results. Once confirmed, use the “Save” button at the top-right corner of the editor to store your work. This enables you to revisit, modify, or build upon the query later.

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Step 2: Visualize Your Query Results

While raw data is essential, it often requires visual representation to unlock its true value. Dune allows you to convert query outputs into visualizations directly from the platform.

Creating a New Visualization

After executing a query:

• Click the “New Visualization” button below the result table.

• Select your desired chart type — for instance, line chart, bar chart, or area chart.

Mapping Your Data

Configure the visualization by assigning fields:

• Use time as your x-axis to represent the chronological progression.

• Use users and receiving_addresses as your y-axis to display the metrics over time.

Customizing the Visualization

Fine-tune your visual output with the following adjustments:

• Modify axis labels for clarity.

• Format large numbers for readability (e.g., 10,000 as 10k).

• Adjust tick spacing for date ranges.

• Choose color schemes to distinguish between metrics clearly.

Visualizations make your data not only easier to interpret but also more compelling to share with others.

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Step 3: Build and Customize Dashboards

Dashboards in Dune allow you to organize multiple visualizations and present them in a cohesive, user-friendly layout. These dashboards are commonly shared within teams, communities, and across social platforms.

Creating a New Dashboard

1. Click the “Create” menu on Dune’s main interface and select “New Dashboard.”

2. Enter a unique, descriptive title. Note that the title becomes the URL slug and cannot be changed later.

3. Click “Save and Open” to access the dashboard editor.

Adding Widgets

1. In the dashboard editor, click “Edit” in the top-right corner.

2. Select “Add Widget” to insert one of your saved queries or visualizations.

3. Choose the query and corresponding visualization to embed in the dashboard.

Layout and Organization

• Resize widgets by dragging their bottom-right corners.

• Reposition widgets using drag-and-drop functionality.

• Once satisfied with the layout, click “Save” to preserve the structure.

A well-organized dashboard is key for storytelling, especially when you’re presenting to stakeholders or publishing your analysis to the public.

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Best Practices for Dune Research and Visualization

To maximize the quality and impact of your work on Dune, consider the following best practices:

• Use comments in your SQL queries to document logic and improve readability.

• Avoid unnecessary complexity; simplicity often leads to better performance and clarity.

• Leverage existing public dashboards for inspiration or fork them to create your own version.

• Join the Dune community to ask questions, get feedback, and stay informed about updates.

Advancing Your Dune Analytics Skills

Once you’re comfortable with the basics, there are several ways to deepen your expertise and build more advanced dashboards:

• Watch the official Dune video tutorials to understand how queries flow through the system and how to navigate the UI more effectively.

• Study Dune's Ethereum schema to learn what data is available and how to access specific tables like transactions, logs, token_transfers, and more.

• Practice SQL problem-solving on platforms like HackerRank to enhance your query-building proficiency.

• Engage in the Dune Discord Community, especially in beginner and query support channels, where you can get real-time help from other analysts.

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Conclusion

As the blockchain ecosystem continues to expand, data-driven decision-making becomes indispensable. Dune offers a zero-barrier way to explore and present complex on-chain activity without having to build custom infrastructure.

Whether you're monitoring DeFi adoption, identifying NFT trends, or researching DAO governance, Dune enables you to gain true visibility into blockchain networks. 

The combination of open data, SQL querying, and no-code dashboards creates a unique opportunity for anyone in Web3 to become a data analyst — no PhD required.

By learning how to use Dune, you’re not just analyzing blockchain activity — you’re shaping the narrative around it.

FAQ

Q: What is Dune Analytics used for?
A: Dune is used to query, analyze, and visualize public blockchain data. It enables users to build interactive dashboards that track metrics such as transaction volumes, user activity, smart contract interactions, and token movements across various chains like Ethereum, Polygon, Optimism, and others.

Q: Do I need to know how to code to use Dune?
A: While Dune does not require full-stack development experience, it does require basic proficiency in SQL. Understanding how to write queries is essential for extracting and analyzing on-chain data using Dune’s query editor.

Q: Is Dune free to use?
A: Yes, Dune offers a free tier that allows users to write queries, create dashboards, and access most public datasets. Paid plans are available for teams and professionals who require enhanced features such as private dashboards, team collaboration, and priority support.

Q: Which blockchains does Dune support?
A: Dune currently supports Ethereum, Optimism, Arbitrum, BNB Chain, Polygon, Base, and several others. Support for new networks is continually expanding to meet growing demand across the Web3 ecosystem.

Q: Can I share my Dune dashboard publicly?
A: Yes, Dune dashboards can be made public or kept private based on your preference. Public dashboards are shareable via URL and often used to provide transparency for DAOs, DeFi protocols, and NFT communities.

Q: How is Dune different from other blockchain explorers like Etherscan?
A: While Etherscan allows users to view individual transactions and addresses, Dune enables users to perform large-scale analytical queries, aggregate data across time periods, and create dynamic visualizations.

Q: Can I fork other users’ queries or dashboards?
A: Yes, Dune promotes open collaboration. You can fork any public query or dashboard, modify it, and save it as your own version. This makes it easier to build on existing work and accelerate your research.

Q: How do I learn the structure of Dune’s blockchain data tables?
A: Dune provides a comprehensive data schema within its documentation. You can also explore the “Data Tables” section in the interface to browse available tables, columns, and sample entries. Understanding table relationships is crucial for writing efficient and accurate queries.

Q: Can Dune be used for real-time analytics?
A: While Dune offers near real-time data, it is not a live feed. Data is typically updated every few minutes to an hour depending on the chain and query complexity. It is well-suited for trend analysis and reporting but may not be optimal for immediate event monitoring.

Q: What should I do if I need help with a query?
A: Dune offers extensive documentation and an active community on Discord. The #beginners and #query-questions channels are especially useful for troubleshooting, getting feedback, and learning best practices from experienced users.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed belong exclusively to the author and do not reflect the views of this platform. This platform and its affiliates disclaim any responsibility for the accuracy or suitability of the information provided. It is for informational purposes only and not intended as financial or investment advice.