Truflation is a platform that provides real-time, decentralized inflation data. Unlike traditional government sources, Truflation aggregates and analyzes data from a variety of sources to offer a more accurate, transparent, and up-to-date measure of inflation. It empowers businesses, economists, and individuals to track inflation trends more effectively, using cutting-edge technologies like AI to generate insights specific to different markets and indices.

Inflation is commonly measured using the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index and the Consumer Price Index (CPI), but a new alternative, Truflation, has emerged as a real-time US inflation index, offering a fresh perspective on inflationary trends. All three metrics aim to track changes in the prices of goods and services over time, but they differ in several key ways. The PCE and CPI are updated monthly, providing a retrospective snapshot of inflation, whereas Truflation updates daily, offering a real-time view. The CPI relies on 80,000 data points from a selected basket of goods and services, while Truflation monitors over 15 million items, capturing a broader and more detailed picture of the market. In terms of adjustments, the PCE and CPI incorporate mechanisms such as substitutions—when consumers switch to cheaper alternatives—and hedonic adjustments, which account for quality improvements in goods and services. Truflation, due to its extensive data coverage, does not require these adjustments, as it naturally reflects market shifts and quality variations. When it comes to housing costs, the PCE and CPI do not directly include home purchase prices but instead use "owners' equivalent rent," an estimate of what homeowners would pay if they were renting. Truflation, however, factors in mortgage payments, offering a more direct representation of the housing market's impact on consumer expenses.

Truflation leverages extensive data, tracking over 30 million items from more than 80 sources. Each index it releases is based on at least three different data sources to ensure accuracy. With a detailed breakdown of categories and sub-categories, Truflation provides deep market insights. Unlike traditional inflation measures, it updates daily, offering a more real-time perspective. It also serves as a leading indicator, outperforming government indexes by 30-50% in speed. Its data has been validated by institutions and economists, including Pennsylvania State University, Stockholm Economic University, and DiMartino Booth.

New data from each available source is gathered daily at 11:00 PM Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). All the collected historical pricing data points are loaded directly into our source database. Each provider's data is then added into a separate database table. Every time new data is ingested and collected, necessary quality control procedures are undertaken daily to ensure the accuracy and representation of the data sources. Once this is complete then the data is updated in the system. It undergoes a 24-hour hold period and is then locked until 00:00 UTC the next day. For example, data that is collected at 23:00 UTC on the 4th of the month will be published at 23:59 UTC on the 5th.

For every data partner that is ingested into Truflation, an audit process is conducted that includes: documentation of the methodology, determining the representation of the data, understanding the quality control procedures the data partners undertake, and of course, administrative & legal document sign-off - which is necessary to ensure Truflation has the legal representation to repurpose the data and add it to other data sources to create the index. Every day, Truflation conducts a rigorous quality control process on its data. This involves comparing it with historical records, ensuring the presence of the most recent data, analyzing current figures, and assessing any variations to maintain accuracy and reliability.

Truflation ensures accuracy by using at least three data sources for every released index. Each dataset is weighted based on geographical representation, the methodology used for data collection, and the volume of data. These weighting factors are multiplied to determine the overall influence of each data partner. The final weighting is then compared to other providers in the same category, assigning a relative weighting factor to new data sources versus existing ones.

Truflation's historical data for each market varies, with the US Inflation Index representing the longest history, going back to January 1, 2010.

The delivery of the data depends on the subscription model of the client, but in essence we have four main types of delivery: Dashboard, API, Smart contracts and FTP's. For more details please visit our pricing page.

The Truflation data is updated daily across all of our markets.

The CSV file contains three sets of data. The first set includes Truflation data, featuring the total CPI and all related Truflation categories. The second set maps Truflation data to the BLS CPI categories with associated weightings. The third set consists of the BLS-published CPI data. Within each category, there are three key data points: the CPI Index, representing the year-over-year inflation rate; the Truflation CPI Index, which reflects Truflation's inflation measurement; and the Truflation CPI Index from a year ago for comparison. Full details of the datasets are available through the download dashboard.

At Truflation, we prioritize data security to protect the integrity and confidentiality of the information provided by our data partners.

Truflation implements strict security measures to protect sensitive data. Role-based access control (RBAC) ensures that only authorized personnel can access specific information. Raw data access is restricted based on the principle of least privilege. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is required for all system access, and API access is secured using OAuth 2.0, API keys, or token-based authentication.

Our systems are hosted on secure cloud environments (AWS) with DDoS protection and firewall security.

Continuous monitoring and logging of data access and usage is crucial for data security. We use SIEM tools, aggregate logs and identify anomalies to detect security breaches, enabling Truflation to proactively protect the data.

We uphold principles of data transparency and retain information exclusively for the purposes consented to, adhering to stringent policies that govern both the management of data throughout its lifecycle and its eventual deletion.