In a stunning turn of events, Chainlink’s LINK token has experienced an impressive 61.3% price surge in just one week, soaring from $11.00 to a peak of $11.78 between October 20 and October 25, marking its highest level since May 2022. However, this rapid ascent has left investors questioning whether this newfound price level is sustainable.
What’s particularly intriguing is that this surge in LINK’s value coincided with Bitcoin’s 23% gain during the same period, where BTC reached $33,642. This remarkable performance sets Chainlink apart from its counterparts, such as Ethereum (ETH), which saw a 14% increase in its price, and Solana (SOL), which experienced a $32 rally. This suggests a growing bullish sentiment toward Chainlink’s pioneering oracle and decentralized computing solutions.
Several recent developments have contributed to LINK’s outstanding performance. Notably, the anticipation surrounding Chainlink’s upcoming native staking upgrade, set to launch in the coming months, has garnered significant attention. The initial staking pool’s overwhelming success, filling up in less than three hours, promises enhanced flexibility through staking withdrawals, improved security assurances, and dynamic rewards.
Furthermore, the integration of Chainlink into various blockchain networks has injected optimism into LINK investors. For instance, on October 15, Chainlink announced its provision of services to Advanced Crypto Strategies DAO, a multi-chain yield optimizer and automated liquidity manager, as well as Equilibria, a yield booster for Pendle Finance.
By October 22, Chainlink’s services had found their way into Cobo Global, an institutional-grade digital custody solution, StaFi Protocol’s liquid staking solution for Proof-of-Stake chains, Ethereum’s on-chain derivatives platform Thales Market, and Xena Finance, offering 50x perpetual futures on Coinbase’s Base chain.
A significant announcement on October 24 by telecom giant Vodafone further boosted Chainlink’s reputation, as it revealed the participation of its digital asset arm as a node operator in the Chainlink network. This decision followed a successful proof-of-concept with the Japanese trading and investment company Sumitomo for the exchange of trade documents across platforms.
While LINK’s price faced pressure due to concerns surrounding the sale of FTX and Alameda Research cryptocurrencies in the Delaware Bankruptcy Court, these worries have gradually subsided. Recent transfers from wallets associated with the bankruptcy estate have had minimal impact on LINK’s prices.
As concerns related to the FTX and Alameda Research bankruptcy waned, and with Bitcoin surging above $32,000 on October 23, investor interest in LINK intensified. This surge in demand led to a three-month high in leveraged long positions, as indicated by the funding rate.
The positive funding rate points to buyers seeking greater leverage, and the current rate of 0.014% over 8 hours translates to a 0.3% cost over a week, which is manageable for traders building futures positions.
Furthermore, the number of active addresses within the Chainlink network has reached an 11-month high, according to data from Messari and Coinmetrics. This is a promising sign for LINK enthusiasts.
Comparing the current scenario to a previous peak in November 2022, where LINK’s price reached $38.32, this time appears more stable, thanks to substantial ecosystem developments and the promising prospects of Chainlink’s native staking solution.
