Chainlink (LINK) Forms Bullish Pattern That Led To 50% Rally On Average

On-chain data shows that a Chainlink indicator is currently forming a pattern that has led to an average 50% increase for LINK in the past.

Chainlink 30-Day MVRV Ratio Has Plunged

In a new post on X, analyst Ali discussed the latest trend in Chainlink’s 30-day MVRV ratio. The “Market Value to Realized Value (MVRV) ratio” is a popular on-chain indicator that tracks the ratio between LINK’s market cap and realized cap.

The market cap naturally refers to the total valuation of the asset’s circulating supply at the current spot price. In contrast, the realized cap is a different type of capitalization model that calculates the total value of the cryptocurrency by instead taking the price at which each coin in circulation last moved on the network as its “true” value.

Since the last transaction of any coin was probably the last time it changed hands, the price at its time would signify its current cost basis. As such, the realized cap sums up the cost basis of every coin in circulation.

In this view, the realized cap would be nothing but a measure of the total capital the investors have used to purchase the asset. In contrast, the market cap represents the value that they are holding right now.

The MVRV ratio compares these two models, and its value can provide hints about whether the overall market holds more or less than it puts into Chainlink.

In the context of the current topic, the 30-day version of this indicator is of focus, which restricts itself to only the investors who bought within the past month. Here is the chart shared by the analyst that shows the trend in this LINK indicator over the past couple of years:

Chainlink MVRV Ratio

As displayed in the above graph, the Chainlink 30-day MVRV ratio has recently taken a sharp plunge and dipped under the 0% mark. The 0% mark is where the market cap and realized cap are exactly equal, so below it, the latter would be greater than the former.

When this is the case, the investors are carrying losses. This recent plunge into the negative has naturally come for the metric as the cryptocurrency’s price has plummeted, putting the 30-day buyers underwater.

In the chart, Ali has highlighted a specific pattern that Chainlink appears to have followed regarding this indicator, plunging deep into the negative territory. “Each time Chainlink MVRV 30-Day Ratio has dropped below -12.24% since August 2022, it’s signaled a prime buying opportunity, averaging 50% returns!” notes the analyst.

Recently, the indicator has declined towards 17.54%, meaning it’s below this level, which has historically led to profitable buying windows for the coin. It remains to be seen whether the pattern followed in the last two years will hold this time as well.

LINK Price

The past week has been terrible for Chainlink investors. The asset’s price has plunged by more than 23%, coming down to just $13.3 now.

Chainlink Price Chart

LINK Price Eyes Recovery If It’s Able to Hold One Crucial Level

Chainlink’s LINK price retested the $12.00 support zone. The price is now eyeing a recovery wave above the $13.50 and $15.00 resistance levels.

  • Chainlink price is showing bearish signs below the $15.00 resistance against the US dollar.
  • The price is trading below the $14.20 level and the 100 simple moving average (4 hours).
  • There is a key bearish trend line forming with resistance near $13.50 on the 4-hour chart of the LINK/USD pair (data source from Kraken).
  • The price could start a decent increase if it clears the $15.00 resistance zone.

Chainlink (LINK) Price Eyes Steady Increase

In the past few days, Chainlink saw a major decline from well above the $18.00 level. LINK price declined below the $15.00 pivot level to enter a short-term bearish zone, like Bitcoin and Ethereum.

The price tested the $12.00 support zone. A low was formed at $11.92 and the price is now attempting a recovery wave. There was a move above the $12.50 level. It even jumped above the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $18.66 swing high to the $11.92 low.

LINK price is still trading below the $14.20 level and the 100 simple moving average (4 hours). Immediate resistance is near the $13.50 level. There is also a key bearish trend line forming with resistance near $13.50 on the 4-hour chart of the LINK/USD pair.

LINK Price

Source: LINKUSD on TradingView.com

The next major resistance is near the $15.00 zone. A clear break above $15.00 may possibly start a steady increase toward the $16.00 level or the 61.8% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $18.66 swing high to the $11.92 low. The next major resistance is near the $18.00 level, above which the price could test $20.00.

More Losses?

If Chainlink’s price fails to climb above the $13.50 resistance level, there could be a fresh decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $12.80 level.

The next major support is near the $12.00 level, below which the price might test the $10.80 level. Any more losses could lead LINK toward the $10.00 level in the near term.

Technical Indicators

4 hours MACD – The MACD for LINK/USD is gaining momentum in the bearish zone.

4 hours RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for LINK/USD is now below the 50 level.

Major Support Levels – $12.80 and $12.00.

Major Resistance Levels – $13.50 and $14.00.

Chainlink (LINK) Soars 9%: Crypto Analyst Predicts Next Big Target

Chainlink (LINK) has performed strongly over the past week, with the token’s price increasing 21.3% in the last seven days. Some analysts have shared their predictions and thoughts on LINK, suggesting keeping an eye on the token and its long-term performance.

What Is LINK’s Next Steppingstone?

Recently, Chainlink announced its partnership with blockchain platform Avalanche and the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group to connect the Avalanche and Ethereum blockchains using Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP).

As reported by NewsBTC, the partnership aims to facilitate the “access, trade, and seamless settlement of tokenized assets across networks in different currencies in a process called Delivery vs. Payment (DvP).”

The crypto community appeared to receive the news well. X users expressed their positive sentiments towards the collaboration and Chainlink’s token. The sentiment has seemingly translated to LINK’s performance, as the token’s price soared 9% in the last 24 hours.

Crypto analyst and trader The Lord of Entry shared his prediction for LINK. In the X post, the trader highlights that the token’s performance in the past day had been strong as it broke above the $18.5 resistance level. Chainlink’s LINK unsuccessfully tested the resistance zone over the past week after falling below it on March 18.

The token continued the upward trajectory throughout the day after successfully rising above the $18.5 price. In the early hours of Tuesday, LINK surged above the $20 mark but faced resistance near the $20.5 range.

According to the trader, if the token can break above this level and turn it into a support zone, the next big target for LINK would be the $28 price range.

As of this writing, LINK tested this new resistance level, which has been rising above it twice in the past hour. The token reached $20.6 in the first attempt and briefly surpassed the $20.7 price range during the second attempt. However, the token momentarily failed to flip the resistance zone and fell below $20.5 again.

Chainlink’s “Very Strong” Long-Term Performance

Despite the failed attempts, LINK’s price surged 9% in the past 24 hours. Interest in the token has seemingly risen in the same timeframe as its market activity increased by 55.19%, reaching a daily trading volume of $539.9 million.

Its market capitalization also increased by 8.16% in the past day, reaching $12.02 billion. Chainlink is the 14th-largest cryptocurrency by this metric, according to CoinMarketCap data.

Moreover, LINK has shown a remarkable 182.6% performance in the last year. As a result, crypto analyst Altcoin Sherpa shared some notes on LINK, suggesting that it shouldn’t be actively traded. Sherpa stated that the token is a better fit to “buy and hold” as it is a “safe coin that is going to do strong numbers.”

The analyst considers LINK fundamentally “very strong” and one of the best tokens based on its long-term performance. Ultimately, Sherpa predicts the price will “consolidate for a bit longer before its next move.”

Chainlink, LINK, LINKUSDT, crypto

Chainlink Facing Strong Rejection From Profit-Taking, Will CCIP Recharge Demand?

One analyst on X notes that Chainlink is facing a tug-of-war between bullish momentum and strong upside resistance from profit-taking traders. For bulls to add to their longs and extend the uptrend, the existing oversupply must be moped, paving the way for more gains above immediate liquidation levels. 

LINK profit taking | Source: Analyst on X

Profit Taking Slowing Down LINK Bulls

Looking at the LINK price action in the daily chart, it is clear that buyers have the upper hand. Bulls have been relentless since the token bottomed out in September 2023. 

Since then, LINK has doubled, even breaking above the psychological round number at $20. At press time, buyers are still in control, snapping back to trend despite the market-wide cool-off after Bitcoin crashed last week. 

Chainlink prices trending upward on the daily chart | Source: LINKUSDT on Binance, TradingView

LINK is within a broader range, with clear caps at around $17.9 on the lower end and $21.7 on the upper end. After protracted expansion from September, the emergence of a ranging market could suggest that traders are exiting their positions, slowing down the uptrend.

This has been confirmed by on-chain data that the analyst tagged, explaining the recent slowdown. Indeed, on-chain data suggests investors have been cashing in on the recent expansion.

As a result, the excess supply needs to be absorbed by the market before LINK Bulls builds enough momentum to drive the coin to new 2024 highs above $21.8.

 Chainlink CCIP Adoption To Recharge Demand?

Despite the short-term headwinds, Chainlink bulls are banking on the widespread adoption of the Chainlink Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) as a demand catalyst. CCIP is critical for blockchain interoperability. The solution allows secure communication between smart contracts of linked blockchains and external data sources.

CCIP has been adopted by, among others, Metis, a layer-2 scaling solution for Ethereum. Circle, the issuer of USDC, a stablecoin, is also leveraging the platform to enhance interoperability.

Recent data shows a surge in CCIP revenue, pointing towards increased adoption of this multichain bridging platform. As of March 26, Dune Analytics data shows that the CCIP has generated over $484,000 in revenue. This figure will likely increase as CCIP finds adoption and Chainlink integrates with even more protocols, businesses, and blockchains. 

CCIP revenue | Source: Dune Analytics

Still, the pace at which LINK breaks above March highs and registers fresh 2024 highs will also demand the performance of other coins, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. A resurgent BTC could draw more capital, lifting altcoins, including LINK, in the process.

LINK Price Regains Strength, Why Chainlink Could Surge Over 10%

Chainlink’s LINK price is moving higher above the $20.00 resistance. The price is now up over 5% and might aim for a move toward the $25.00 resistance.

  • Chainlink price is showing positive signs above $20.00 against the US dollar.
  • The price is trading above the $20.50 level and the 100 simple moving average (4 hours).
  • There was a break above a key bearish trend line with resistance near $20.00 on the 4-hour chart of the LINK/USD pair (data source from Kraken).
  • The price could rally further if it clears the $22.00 resistance zone.

Chainlink (LINK) Price Eyes More Upsides

In the past few sessions, Chainlink bulls were able to send the price above a few key hurdles at $18.50. Earlier, LINK price formed a base above the $16.75 and started a fresh increase.

There was a break above a key bearish trend line with resistance near $20.00 on the 4-hour chart of the LINK/USD pair. The bulls pumped the pair above the $22.00 level. A new multi-month high was formed at $22.85 before the price started a downside correction.

There was a move below the $22.00 level. The price declined below the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $16.75 swing low to the $22.85 high.

LINK is now trading above the $20.50 level and the 100 simple moving average (4 hours). The price is up over 5% and outpacing both Bitcoin and Ethereum. If the bulls remain in action, the price could rise further. Immediate resistance is near the $21.80 level.

LINK Price

Source: LINKUSD on TradingView.com

The next major resistance is near the $22.00 zone. A clear break above $22.00 may possibly start a steady increase toward the $23.00 and $24.20 levels. The next major resistance is near the $24.80 level, above which the price could test $25.00.

Are Dips Limited?

If Chainlink’s price fails to climb above the $22.00 resistance level, there could be a downside correction. Initial support on the downside is near the $21.00 level.

The next major support is near the $20.00 level or the 50% Fib retracement level of the upward move from the $16.75 swing low to the $22.85 high, below which the price might test the $18.80 level. Any more losses could lead LINK toward the $17.65 level in the near term.

Technical Indicators

4 hours MACD – The MACD for LINK/USD is gaining momentum in the bullish zone.

4 hours RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for LINK/USD is now above the 50 level.

Major Support Levels – $21.00 and $20.00.

Major Resistance Levels – $22.00 and $23.00.

Crypto Whales Bet Big On LINK – Is Chainlink The Next Bitcoin?

The momentum of Chainlink (LINK) in February has largely subsided and the current performance of the crypto seems lackluster when compared with other large crypto assets. However, it would appear that the cryptocurrency is gearing up for some action in the coming weeks. Interestingly, new on-chain data has revealed a fresh accumulation pattern by LINK whales which could set up the resumption of a price uptrend.

According to blockchain tracker Lookonchain, there’s been an outflow of 831,160 LINK worth $16.72 million from crypto exchange Binance in the past two days into eight new private wallets.

Chainlink Whales Resume Accumulation Trend?

Whale transactions are largely monitored because they help to show the general sentiment among traders of a crypto asset. This recent accumulation into new wallets points to a lingering bullish belief in LINK in some large traders, despite the crypto currently having a weak momentum. 

Chainlink went on an unprecedented price spike in late January and rolled into the month of February, allowing it to cross over $20 for the first time in over two years. Throughout this time, the crypto witnessed increased accumulation from whales and investors. Notably, this price spike saw Chainlink overperforming in the wider crypto industry, including Bitcoin. As a result, LINK shot up in market cap rankings to overtake Dogecoin, Avalanche, Tron, and Polygon.

LINK’s price journey has slowed down since the beginning of March, with the crypto primarily trading in an $18.15 to $20.82 range in the past seven days. Data from Coinmarketcap shows that LINK is down by 4.70% in the same timeframe, despite huge inflows into Bitcoin, Ethereum, and meme coins like DOGE and SHIB.

However, the crypto is not out of it yet, as large LINK movements hint at deliberate market moves rather than mere speculation. The emergence of new wallets accumulating substantial amounts hints at a strategic positioning for an incoming price increase.

Chainlink To Rival Bitcoin?

Bitcoin has piggybacked on recent inflows into Spot Bitcoin ETFs to break through subsequent price levels and reach a new all-time high. On the other hand, Chainlink’s fundamentals and its massive utility in the DeFi, smart contracts, and NFT ecosystem point to consistent price increases. Chainlink is particularly poised to keep growing as these niches continue to gain adoption in the real world. 

At the time of writing, LINK is trading at $19.98. In a bullish scenario, LINK could resume a positive momentum bolstered by significant whale activity, allowing it to break past a resistance level of $20.8. If this trend continues, the token could aim higher and break past $21.4 and potentially reach $28 this month.

Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

Analyst Forecasts $40 Target For Chainlink (LINK)

Chainlink (LINK) continues to remain among the headlines following a negative performance, which saw the token’s price decline by 7.63% in the last week based on data from CoinMarketCap. However, despite this discouraging price loss, investors and market experts appear to remain bullish on the altcoin. For instance, popular crypto analyst Michaël van de Poppe has recently released a price prediction that states LINK could double its market price in the coming months.

Chainlink (LINK) Poised To Notch 122% Gains, Analyst Says

In a Friday post on X, Michaël van de Poppe presented a bullish case for Chainlink using the LINK/BTC 3-day chart. The analyst began his prediction by noting LINK’s positive stint in the first two weeks of February, during which the token rose by 32.77% to trade above the $20 price mark.

However, despite this impressive price gain, the prominent altcoin failed to breach a crucial resistance zone at 0.00480 BTC, thus failing to initiate a breakout. Following this event, van de Poppe believes that Chainlink is now seeking a higher low to serve as its support level.  For context, a higher low In technical analysis refers to a pattern on a price chart in which a successive low point in a trend is higher than the previous low point. It is usually interpreted as a bullish signal indicating a potential trend reversal or continuation of an upward trend.Chainlink

After successfully finding its higher low, van de Poppe anticipates LINK to experience a price reversal, gaining by 4,500 satoshis, which is currently valued at $2.29 at the current Bitcoin price of $50,761. Thus, Chainlink could soon return above the $20 mark. Furthermore, the analyst believes this price gain could lead to LINK finally initiating a breakout, hitting a price in the range of $30-$40 within the next few months. If this prediction proves true, the altcoin could experience a potential maximum gain of 122.71% on its present market price.

LINK Price Overview

At press time, Chainlink continues to exchange hands at $17.96 with a 0.11% gain in the last day. Meanwhile, the token’s daily trading volume has experienced a slight decline of 0.70% and is now valued at $426.65 million. Based on market shares, Chainlink is ranked as the 12th largest cryptocurrency with a total market cap value of $10.55 billion.

Chainlink

LINK trading at $17.944 on the daily chart | Source: LINKUSDT chart on Tradingview.com

Chainlink Open Interest Sitting At Record Levels, What This Means For Price

Chainlink has seen its open interest spike significantly in the month of February, so much so that it has reached new all-time highs. This trend has not waned despite the decline in the price of the cryptocurrency, which could paint a rather bullish picture for the LINK price going forward.

Chainlink Open Interest Crosses $450 Million

The Chainlink open interest ended the month of January on a high note and carried this trend into the month of February. A major jump was seen between January 31 and February 3 when the open interest went from below $250 million to more than $320 million.

In the days following this, the open interest continued to rise, and eventually hit a peak of $533 million. This was significant because it was not just the highest point for the year but it is the highest that the open interest has ever been for the asset.

Chainlink Open interest

As expected, the price would quickly rise to keep up with the open interest as investors continued to place their bets on the price. There has been a retracement in the open interest. However, Chainlink has continued to maintain more than $450 million in open interest since February 12.

Currently, Coinglass data shows that the Chainlink open interest is $456 million as of February 23, continuing to maintain a high level. Given this, it might be prudent to look at how the LINK price has reacted in the past when open interest remained elevated.

Historical Performance Of The LINK Price

While the Chainlink open interest is at record levels, there have been times in the past where the open interest had been elevated for a period of time like it is now. So, how the price reacted during those periods could provide a pointer for how it might perform now.

The last time that the open interest was this elevated for a long period of time was back in October-November 2023 when open interest more than doubled. It would maintain this elevated level for almost a month, but at the end of it, the LINK price would react positively and saw a price surge from $11 to $15, which was a 36% increase in price.

If this scenario were to repeat now, then a 36% increase would send the LINK price to $24. This is not particularly hard to believe, given that the LINK price had topped out at $52 in the last bull market. So, such a move would still leave it 50% below its all-time high levels.

On the flip side of this, the open interest levels could also taper off, as was seen in November 2023. This could see the LINK open interest lose its hold on the $450 million that it maintained in February and fall toward $400 million before recovering again.

Solana, Chainlink Among Coins With Overheating Open Interest: Data

Data shows Solana and Chainlink are among the top cryptocurrencies that have observed growth in Open Interest to relatively high levels.

Solana & Chainlink Have Their Open Interest At Notable Values Currently

According to data from the on-chain analytics firm Santiment, there has been a dramatic increase in interest in the derivative market for cryptocurrencies recently.

The indicator of relevance here is the “Open Interest,” which keeps track of the total amount of derivative contracts for any given asset that is currently open on all centralized exchanges.

When the value of this metric goes up, it means that the investors are increasing positions on the derivative side of the market. Such a trend may be a predictor for higher volatility, as the total leverage in the sector tends to go up when new futures positions pop up.

On the other hand, a decrease in the indicator implies the holders are closing up their positions or are getting forcefully liquidated by their platform, thus leading to the leverage potentially coming down. As such, this kind of trend can result in the asset’s price becoming more stable.

Now, here is a chart that shows the trend in the Open Interest for various top assets in the cryptocurrency sector over the past year:

Solana & Chainlink Open Interest

As displayed in the above graph, the Open Interest has exploded for Bitcoin and Ethereum recently as the latest surge in prices has occurred. Generally, such sharp price action attracts a large amount of speculators to the assets, so the indicator’s upward trajectory isn’t surprising.

The scale of the increase, though, may be a bit concerning. From the chart, it’s visible that the BTC Open Interest is currently around $9.85 billion, while for ETH, it’s about $5.59 billion.

Among the altcoins, Solana and Chainlink have particularly stood out, as the indicator has touched $1.62 billion and $549 million for them, respectively. These are much smaller values than Bitcoin and Ethereum, of course, but their market caps are also much smaller than these two titans.

“With Bitcoin, in particular, crossing over $10B in open interest for the first time since July, 2022, this does signal crowd euphoria is alive and well,” notes the analytics firm. “Sometimes rising too quickly can be indicative of some caution flags.”

The reason that a high Open Interest has historically been a cause for concern is that mass liquidation events become more probable to occur in such market conditions, due to an abundance of leverage.

Such events, where liquidations can cascade together, are usually chaotic and result in some sharp price action. As Solana, Chainlink, and other top assets have a potentially overheated Open Interest right now, they may be ones to watch in the coming days, as any further increases might serve as a warning.

SOL Price

At the time of writing, Solana is trading around the $110 level, down over 3% in the last seven days.

Solana Price Chart

Chainlink Takes Over Dogecoin In Key Metric As Mysterious Whale Pushes LINK Upwards

Chainlink (LINK) is now experiencing three weeks of robust positive price activity, putting it well ahead of the overall cryptocurrency market. LINK’s price has skyrocketed over 48% since January 25, surpassing $20 on February 11 for the first time since February 2022.

Amidst this price surge, which saw the cryptocurrency moving closer to Dogecoin in market cap rankings, on-chain data has revealed a consistent whale accumulation. One whale, in particular, has accumulated $83.6 million worth of LINK in the past five days.

Chainlink Overtakes Dogecoin In Market Cap

Chainlink’s price movement this year has been surprising, and current price action shows no intention of slowing down anytime soon. LINK, the decentralized oracle network’s token, recently overtook Dogecoin to become the 10th largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization.

At the time of writing, LINK’s market cap is $11.85 billion compared to DOGE’s $11.46 billion. The recent surge in LINK’s price and market cap seems driven by whales and investors accumulating the token.

According to data from IntoTheBlock, LINK whale transactions greater than $100,000 totaled more than $1.29 billion in the past seven days.

Notably, total exchange outflows in the same period have far outweighed inflows, indicating the current holding sentiment from LINK traders.

IntoTheBlock’s exchange metric shows that $282.6 million worth of LINK was withdrawn from exchanges in the past seven days, compared to an inflow of $154.89 million. 

chainlink linkusdt 2 link

One whale has been scooping up massive amounts of LINK from crypto exchange Binance in the past seven days. Blockchain data analysis platform Lookonchain has revealed that 4,556,684 LINK ($83.6 million) have been withdrawn from the exchange within the past five days and placed in 55 new wallets.

Although the outflow has gone into multiple wallets, the pattern of withdrawals suggests that one entity is carrying out the accumulation. 

What’s Next For LINK?

At the time of writing, Chainlink is trading at $20.21. Although still up by 9% and 36.13% in the past seven and 30 days, respectively, the price surge seems to be slowing down, and the crypto has since corrected 2% from a yearly high of $20.63 in the past 24 hours.

Chainlink LINK LINKUSDT

On the broader end, the crypto market seems to be catching up in gains, as most cryptocurrencies witnessed inflows led by Bitcoin last week. Dogecoin wasn’t excluded from this inflow, with its price spiking 7.3% from 0.0776 to 0.08327. Dogecoin is currently trading at $0.08046. 

LINK’s market cap currently stands above DOGE by $390 million. An increase in LINK accumulation by traders could continue to widen the difference between the assets. 

Chart from Tradingview

Chainlink Breeds New Whales As $49.9 Million Accumulation Spree Cause Prices To Surge

Chainlink (LINK) has traders buzzing as its price has been up by 40% since the last week of January, massively outpacing the broader cryptocurrency market. Amidst this price spike, mysterious whale wallets have been topping up their holdings, as evidenced by on-chain data. 

According to blockchain tracker Lookonchain, there’s been a massive outflow of LINK from crypto exchange Binance in the past two days, particularly with 49 new wallets receiving 2,745,815 LINK within this timeframe. 

Massive LINK Accumulation Occurs On Binance Before Withdrawal

Details from Binance point to an ongoing accumulation of LINK from the crypto exchange. In the middle of this accumulation, a particular whale or institution has been going on a buying spree, gobbling up more than 2.7 million LINK tokens worth $49.9 million. This accumulation came days after the Lookonchain noticed that four new wallets had withdrawn over 119,583 LINK tokens worth over $2.15 million from Binance.

Similarly, Lookonchain noted that another whale address “0x2A19” has withdrawn 494,957 LINK tokens worth $9 million from Binance in the past 10 days. Notably, whale transaction tracker Whale Alerts has also noted some accumulation of LINK tokens from other crypto exchanges.

Analytics platform Santiment also noted that LINK whale addresses have upped their activity amidst the price surge as large amounts of coins were moved by previously stagnant wallets. This influx of tokens back into the network’s circulation, coupled with a minor liquidation of wallets, seems to have contributed to the price spike.

How Will New Chainlink Whales Impact Price Action Going Forward?

The crypto industry is currently going through a modest price gain led by Bitcoin recently breaking above the $44,000 level again. As a result, the industry is now up by 3.25% in the past 24 hours, with a 22.60% increase in trading volume. 

LINK hasn’t been left out of this price gain, registering a 4.30% gain in the past 24 hours. However, LINK has been on a sustained breakout since January, reaching as high as $19.68 on February 5. 

The price spike isn’t particularly surprising, as fundamentals of the Chainlink ecosystem point to a steady price growth for LINK. Chainlink’s role in DeFi and NFTs with its smart contracts oracles cannot be overstated. Chainlink also recently released its Staking v0.2 protocol in December, allowing investors to stake a minimum of 1 LINK for a base floor reward rate of 4.5% per year in LINK.

Consequently, the massive accumulation of LINK by whales is a very bullish signal for the token’s price action going forward. These large investors see LINK’s long-term value and potential and are loading up their bags in anticipation of higher prices.

LINK price chart from Tradingview.com (Chainlink whales)

Whale Rapidly Accumulating Chainlink: What’s Going On With LINK?

A mysterious whale is rapidly accumulating Chainlink (LINK). According to Lookonchain, the unknown entity, possibly an institution, withdrew over 2.2 million LINK (worth $42.38 million) via 47 new wallets from Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume, in two days.

This sudden block withdrawal now raises questions about what’s driving the whale’s interest and what it could mean for LINK in the coming days.

Crypto whale accumulating LINK | Source: Lookonchain via X

Chainlink Is Key In DeFi And NFTs, Gradually Improving 

Chainlink is a popular project that provides secure middleware services and allows smart contracts to access tamper-proof external data. For this role, the platform has been adopted by multiple protocols offering decentralized finance (defi) services in Ethereum and beyond. 

Additionally, Chainlink plays a role in non-fungible tokens (NFTs) through its random number generator (RNG). It continues to release new products and enhance its features.

To illustrate, in November, Chainlink upgraded its staking mechanism, releasing v0.2, which significantly increased the pool size to 45 million LINK. 

The platform noted that the decision was to attract more investors and, more importantly, bolster its security while concurrently aligning with its broader objective of attaining the “Economics 2.0” plan.

Initially, staking began in December 2022. The goal was to incentivize participation by expanding the utility of LINK and allowing stakers to receive rewards. 

The release of v0.2 in November means more tokens can be locked, helping make LINK scarce, considering the role of the token in the vast Chainlink ecosystem. 

Trackers show that over 40.8 million LINKs have been locked so far. Chainlink confirms that anyone can earn a variable reward rate of 4.32%.

LINK staked | Source: Chainlink

Beyond staking, Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) is gaining adoption. To illustrate, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) initiated its first phase of e-Hong Kong Dollar (e-HKD) trials in November, integrating CCIP. 

As part of this trial, the regulator wanted to illustrate the capabilities of programmable payments enabled by Chainlink via its solution, CCIP. In DeFi, protocols such as Synthetix and Aave have adopted CCIP. 

Will LINK Breach $20?

With more protocols and traditional institutions leveraging the technology, the demand for LINK (and prices) will likely increase as the fear of missing out (FOMO) kicks in.

While the whale’s motives remain unknown, their large-scale LINK accumulation suggests they might be bullish on the token. Notably, it coincides with the sharp expansion of LINK prices in the past 48 hours. 

Chainlink price trending upward on the daily chart: Source: LINKUSDT on Binance, TradingView

So far, the token is changing hands slightly below the $20 psychological resistance. Any breakout above this level might lift the token to around $35 in Q3 2021.

Dogecoin Trounced: Chainlink’s 34% Jump Kicks DOGE Out Of Top 10 List

After Chainlink’s impressive run of more than 34% over the past week, LINK has dethroned Dogecoin (DOGE) from the top 10 crypto by market cap list.

Chainlink Has Pulled Away From The Crowd With A Sharp Surge Recently

While most cryptocurrency sectors have observed minimal movement recently, Chainlink has emerged as an outlier, enjoying a surge of over 34% in the last week.

The below chart shows how LINK has performed over the past month.

Chainlink Price Chart

LINK had achieved a major milestone, breaking above the $18 level earlier during this latest rally, but with a sharp 8% continuation of the run, the coin has now surged beyond the $19.5 mark for the first time since early 2022.

Should Chainlink’s surge continue, the cryptocurrency would be retesting the $20 level, which could prove to be a source of major resistance, according to on-chain data.

LINK has surged more than 38% over the past thirty days, which means it has significantly outperformed the wider sector. Bitcoin, for instance, hasn’t even been able to put together positive returns in this period, as the original cryptocurrency’s price has declined by almost 2%.

Thanks to this strong rally, Chainlink has changed its standing among the wider sector. Specifically, the token has shaken things up in the market cap list.

Dogecoin Has Lost Its Position In The Top 10 List To LINK

Following the rally, LINK has improved its market cap rank and is now the 10th largest cryptocurrency in the sector based on this metric. Dogecoin, holding this spot earlier, has now fallen to 11th.

The table below shows how the two assets fit in the broader sector.

Dogecoin Vs Chainlink

Although Chainlink has now surpassed Dogecoin in this metric, the gap between the two assets is still not much. This means the two coins may continue to flip each other in the coming days unless one shows diverging performance.

As LINK has arrived at this spot with a sharp surge, things may be looking favorably for the asset, especially considering that DOGE has rather put up negative returns in the past week.

The overall picture has also been a bit dire for the memecoin recently, as the chart below displays that its price has followed a sideways trajectory during the past month.

Dogecoin Price Chart

Unless things change fast for Dogecoin, its exit from the top 10 list may be here to stay. Of course, this only assumes that Chainlink itself doesn’t fall off shortly.