Why did the price of LINK go up?

Chainlink (LINK) jumped 11.91% in the last 24 hours, outperforming the overall crypto market, which gained 5.04%. This rise was driven by big investors buying more LINK, a market recovery after a sudden drop, and important updates to the Chainlink network.

1. Big Investors Buying – Large holders added 760,000 LINK (about $13.7 million) during recent market swings.
2. Market Recovery – The crypto market bounced back after former President Trump eased concerns about U.S.-China trade tensions.
3. Technical Bounce – LINK regained a key price level at $19.50, sparking positive momentum.

Deep Dive

1. Big Investors Buying (Positive Sign)

Overview: Data from the blockchain shows that large LINK holders, often called “whales,” increased their holdings by 22.45% during the market drop on October 10–11 (TokenPost). These wallets hold at least 100,000 LINK each.

Why it matters:

• Fewer LINK tokens were available on exchanges (down to a 7-month low of 2 million LINK), which limits supply and can push prices higher.
• Chainlink proved its strength by handling over $180 million in Aave liquidations without any downtime, highlighting its importance in decentralized finance (DeFi) and attracting bigger investors.

What to watch: Keep an eye on whether whales keep buying or start selling near the $20.50 resistance level.

2. Market Recovery (Mixed Impact)

Overview: LINK’s price rose alongside major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (+1.9%) and Ethereum (+8.2%) after Trump’s reassuring comments about China helped calm the market following a sudden crash (Yahoo Finance).

Why it matters:

• LINK’s 11.91% gain outpaced Ethereum and Solana, showing strength specific to this coin.
• However, the Fear & Greed Index remains neutral at 40/100, indicating investors are still cautious due to ongoing risks like U.S.-China trade issues.

3. Technical Bounce (Positive Signal)

Overview: LINK’s price bounced off a key technical level at $19.70, known as the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement. The Relative Strength Index (RSI), a measure of momentum, rose from 38 to 45, suggesting selling pressure is easing.

Why it matters:

• The 30-day moving average at $22.06 is now a resistance point. If LINK breaks above $20.50 and holds, it could aim for $23.20, the high from July.
• The MACD indicator is still negative, which means the price might consolidate before moving higher.

Key level: If LINK closes below $19.50, it could test support at $18.40.

Conclusion

Chainlink’s recent price increase reflects a combination of overall market recovery, strategic buying by large investors, and its strong role in DeFi. While resistance near $20.50 might limit short-term gains, Chainlink’s growing importance in connecting different blockchains and enabling real-world asset tokenization supports its long-term potential.

What to watch: Can LINK stay above $19.50 if Bitcoin’s market dominance (currently 58.51%) continues to rise? Also, watch whale wallet activity and any updates on U.S.-China trade policies.

What could affect the price of LINK?

Chainlink is currently balancing between growing interest from big institutions and risks from a large number of tokens being released.

1. Enterprise Partnerships (Positive) – Collaborations with traditional finance companies like SWIFT and DTCC are boosting Chainlink’s real-world use.
2. Token Unlocks (Negative) – In October, $387 million worth of LINK tokens were released to exchanges, which could lead to short-term selling pressure.
3. Whale Accumulation (Mixed) – Large investors are buying strategically, but everyday retail investors are showing little enthusiasm.

Deep Dive

1. Growing Institutional Adoption (Positive Impact)

Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) now supports over $2.2 billion in transfers across more than 50 blockchains. It’s also integrated with important projects like the U.S. Commerce Department’s economic data feeds (Chainlink) and DTCC’s blockchain pilots. Chainlink recently earned ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certifications, which are important for meeting security standards required by regulated institutions.

What this means: These partnerships show that Chainlink is becoming a key link between traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi). This could increase demand for LINK tokens, which are used to pay network nodes and as collateral. Historically, when Chainlink partners with big enterprises (like the SWIFT collaboration in 2024), the price of LINK has risen by 40-60%.

2. Token Supply and Demand (Mixed Impact)

Chainlink’s Reserve program has bought back over $10 million in LINK tokens by converting revenue from enterprise clients, which reduces the number of tokens available on the market. However, on October 11, the Chainlink team unlocked 18.75 million LINK tokens (worth $387 million) and moved them to Binance exchange. This kind of large token release has previously caused price drops of 15-20% (AMBCrypto).

What this means: While the Reserve program’s buybacks help reduce supply and support prices over the long term, sudden large releases of tokens can push prices down in the short term. The 7-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) is at 38.88, indicating the token might be oversold, but a key support level at $16.06 remains important to watch.

3. Large Investors vs. Retail Interest (Mixed Impact)

In September, large investors (often called “whales”) bought 8 million LINK tokens (about $156 million). The number of addresses holding between 100,000 and 1 million LINK tokens reached an all-time high (CoinMarketCap). On the other hand, everyday retail investors have been less active, with the number of daily active addresses staying flat at around 32,000 since July.

What this means: Whale buying often signals upcoming price increases (for example, a 39% price jump in July 2025), but without strong interest from retail investors, the price gains might be limited. Data from derivatives markets shows cautious optimism: open interest increased by 13.38% this week, but funding rates remain slightly negative (-0.0072%).

Conclusion

Chainlink’s price will depend on whether growing demand from big institutions can outweigh the effects of large token releases and lackluster retail interest. The $19.70 level, which represents a 38.2% Fibonacci retracement, is a key point to watch. If the price stays above this level, it could aim for $23. If it falls below, it might retest support near $16. Keep an eye on the Chainlink Reserve dashboard—continued token accumulation there would suggest strong institutional confidence that could help balance out selling pressure.

What are people saying about LINK?

Social conversations around Chainlink (LINK) show a mix of excitement about potential price gains and concerns about possible pullbacks. Here’s what’s trending:

1. Large investors (“whales”) are targeting prices above $25 after LINK broke through resistance levels it hadn’t surpassed in months.
2. The amount of LINK held in reserve has grown, with over $10 million locked up, signaling strong long-term confidence.
3. There are warnings of bearish pressure if LINK falls below the $23.90 support level.

Deep Dive

1. @bridge_oracle: Bullish momentum with stretched indicators

“Daily RSI at 72.6 warns of overbought clusters, but trend remains intact. Optimal entry after correction.”
– @bridge_oracle (6.8K followers · 42K impressions · 2025-08-12 18:52 UTC)
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What this means: The upward trend is still strong, but traders are waiting for a slight price pullback before buying again.

2. Coin Edition: LINK breaks 2024 downtrend

“Broke descending trendline from Nov 2024, now testing $24.20 resistance. Volume profile support at $21.04.”
– Coin Edition (12K followers · 689K impressions · 2025-08-13 12:24 UTC)
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What this means: LINK has reversed its downward trend from last year, which could attract interest from big investors and institutions.

3. @LCX: Bearish pressure at $22.60 resistance

“Rejection at $22.60 signals short-term bearish momentum. Targets $21.20 if bulls don’t reclaim control.”
– @LCX (89K followers · 287K impressions · 2025-08-13 14:30 UTC)
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What this means: If LINK can’t stay above $22.60, it might drop to $21.20 as some investors take profits after a strong rally in August.

Conclusion

The overall outlook for $LINK is positive but cautious. Prices breaking above $24.20 (the August highs) and the growing reserves of LINK locked up (over $10 million) suggest strong confidence from institutional investors. However, technical indicators like the RSI being high and increased activity on exchanges point to possible short-term price swings. The $21.04 level is important—if LINK holds this support, it could confirm a phase of “accumulation before expansion,” meaning investors are gathering LINK before a potential price increase. Additionally, keep an eye on developer activity as the Jovay Network’s CCIP integration goes live this quarter by following updates on Chainlink’s GitHub.

What is the latest news about LINK?

Chainlink is gaining momentum as the crypto market recovers, with big investors making moves and new partnerships forming. Here’s a quick summary of the latest developments:

1. Whales Buy $13.7M in LINK After Market Drop (October 11, 2025) – Large holders increased their LINK stakes during market turbulence caused by new tariffs.
2. Jovay Integrates Chainlink Technology (October 11, 2025) – Using Chainlink’s tools to improve cross-chain data for institutional decentralized finance (DeFi) projects.
3. Chainlink Team Unlocks $387M in Tokens (October 11, 2025) – Concerns arise after a large amount of LINK was moved to Binance, causing price drops.

In-Depth Look

1. Whales Buy $13.7M in LINK After Market Drop (October 11, 2025)

What happened: On October 10, the market dropped sharply after the announcement of a 100% tariff on China by former President Trump. During this time, wallets holding over 100,000 LINK increased their holdings by 22.45%, adding 760,000 LINK tokens worth about $13.7 million. The top 100 wallets now hold a total of 646.48 million LINK. Chainlink’s oracle network successfully handled $180 million in liquidations on the Aave platform during this volatile period.

Why it matters: This shows that big investors still trust LINK as a key part of DeFi infrastructure, even during tough market conditions. However, smaller investors sold more than they bought, and open interest (a measure of market activity) dropped by nearly 48%, indicating mixed feelings about LINK’s short-term outlook. (TokenPost)

2. Jovay Integrates Chainlink Technology (October 11, 2025)

What happened: Jovay Network has adopted Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) and Data Streams. These technologies allow secure communication between different blockchains and provide fast, reliable pricing data for tokenized assets, which is especially useful for institutional DeFi projects.

Why it matters: This partnership highlights Chainlink’s growing role in enterprise-level blockchain solutions. It could lead to higher demand for Chainlink’s node services and staking opportunities. Additionally, Chainlink’s reserve program added 45,729 LINK (about $900,000) this week, showing strategic accumulation. (Bitcoinist)

3. Chainlink Team Unlocks $387M in Tokens (October 11, 2025)

What happened: The Chainlink team released 18.75 million LINK tokens, worth $387 million, from reserves that had been inactive for four months. These tokens were moved to Binance, leading to a 21.89% price drop, with LINK falling to $17.39 amid panic selling.

Why it matters: Historically, such large token unlocks can cause price declines due to increased supply. However, trading volume in derivatives jumped 222.9% to $5.3 billion, showing that many traders are speculating on the lower prices. (AMB Crypto)

Conclusion

Chainlink is navigating a mix of positive and negative forces: big investors are buying in, but large token unlocks are creating selling pressure. Meanwhile, new partnerships like Jovay’s adoption of CCIP could drive future growth by expanding Chainlink’s use in institutional blockchain projects. With LINK’s price recovering to $19.59 (up 12.27% in 24 hours), it will be interesting to see if these developments help offset the risks from token unlocks and fuel the next wave of asset tokenization.

What is expected in the development of LINK?

Chainlink's roadmap is focused on growing its cross-chain technology, improving data services, and increasing adoption by big financial institutions. Here are the key upcoming milestones:

1. CCIP v1.5 Mainnet Launch (Q4 2025) – Allows token issuers to integrate assets easily and supports zkRollups
2. Data Streams Expansion (2025-2026) – Adds pricing data for real-world assets across 40+ blockchains
3. Digital Assets Sandbox (Live) – A testing platform for institutions to try out tokenized assets
4. Chainlink Reserve Growth (Ongoing) – Protocol earnings are used to buy and hold $LINK tokens

Deep Dive

1. CCIP v1.5 Mainnet Launch (Q4 2025)

Overview:
The Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) is upgrading to let token creators add their assets without needing special permissions, using customizable contracts (Chainlink Blog). This update also brings support for zkRollups, a type of blockchain scaling technology compatible with Ethereum, joining over 50 blockchains already supported by CCIP. Recently, CCIP has handled over $2.2 billion in cross-chain transfers.

What this means:
This is a positive development for LINK because CCIP is becoming the go-to bridge for projects that want to tokenize assets at an institutional level. However, there is some risk if security audits delay the launch—three firms are currently reviewing the upgrade.

2. Data Streams Expansion (2025-2026)

Overview:
After successful partnerships with GMX V2 and ICE for foreign exchange data, Chainlink plans to add fast, reliable data feeds for commodities like oil and wheat. It will also expand stock market data to cover over 500 U.S. stocks and ETFs (CoinJournal).

What this means:
This is a neutral to positive sign. It strengthens Chainlink’s position in decentralized finance (DeFi), but the timing depends on when partners roll out these services. The revenue-sharing model with GMX, where node operators earn 1.2% fees, could serve as a blueprint for future partnerships.

3. Digital Assets Sandbox (Live)

Overview:
Created with DTCC and major banks, this sandbox lets institutions test tokenized assets using ready-made CCIP workflows and compliance tools (Chainlink Q2 2024 Update).

What this means:
This is a positive long-term development. Over $6.9 billion in Fidelity funds already use Chainlink’s Net Asset Value (NAV) feeds through this platform. However, because enterprise sales cycles are long, significant revenue impact might take 12 to 18 months.

4. Chainlink Reserve Growth (Ongoing)

Overview:
Chainlink takes all its protocol revenue—from enterprise deals and on-chain fees—and uses it to buy $LINK tokens. As of September 2025, it has accumulated 237,014 LINK, worth about $5.33 million (@bl_ockchain).

What this means:
This is a positive structural change. It creates steady buying pressure on LINK tokens while reducing the number of tokens available in the market. Because all purchases are transparent and recorded on the blockchain, it reduces risks often seen in crypto treasury management.

Conclusion

Chainlink is evolving from just an oracle provider into a core part of financial infrastructure. Its CCIP and Data Streams products are key to supporting over $120 billion in tokenized assets. While the team has met 94% of its roadmap goals since 2023, the real test will be turning pilot projects like DTCC’s Smart NAV into fully operational systems.

The big question remains: Will traditional finance adopt Chainlink’s technology quickly enough to keep pace through 2026?

What updates are there in the LINK code base?

Chainlink is actively improving its technology with three important node updates planned for 2025.

1. Chainlink Node v2.26.0 (July 28, 2025) – The newest version that upgrades the core system.
2. Chainlink Node v2.25.0 (July 8, 2025) – Focuses on making the protocol more stable and efficient.
3. Chainlink Node v2.24.0 (May 29, 2025) – Adds better support for working across different blockchains.

Deep Dive

1. Chainlink Node v2.26.0 (July 28, 2025)

Overview: This update likely improves the behind-the-scenes operations of Chainlink’s nodes, though detailed information isn’t widely available. Typically, such updates aim to boost performance, security, and the ability to handle more activity.
What this means: This is positive news for LINK holders because better node software usually means a more reliable network. That’s important for businesses and institutions that depend on Chainlink’s oracle services to get accurate data from outside blockchains. Improved nodes could also mean faster data delivery and easier connections with more blockchain platforms.
(Source)

2. Chainlink Node v2.25.0 (July 8, 2025)

Overview: This update likely fine-tunes existing features, such as improving data accuracy or how nodes stay in sync, based on previous updates.
What this means: This is neutral for LINK in the short term, but regular updates show that the Chainlink team is actively maintaining the system. This reduces risks like downtime or security issues. Stable nodes are especially important for decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms that rely on Chainlink’s price feeds.
(Source)

3. Chainlink Node v2.24.0 (May 29, 2025)

Overview: This update probably expands support for multiple blockchains, aligning with Chainlink’s goal of seamless cross-chain communication through its Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP).
What this means: This is good news for LINK because better interoperability strengthens Chainlink’s position as a key player in cross-chain DeFi and tokenized assets. It could lead to more use in blockchain ecosystems like Solana or Base.
(Source)

Conclusion

Chainlink’s 2025 node updates focus on making the network more reliable and ready for cross-chain use, which is essential for its leadership in oracle services. While detailed technical information is limited, the steady pace of updates shows strong developer engagement. Looking ahead, these improvements could help Chainlink integrate more deeply with institutional-grade tokenization systems.