Chainlink (LINK) experienced a 3% price surge overnight following bullish commentary from Grayscale's Head of Research, Zach Pandl. On the Thinking Crypto Podcast, Pandl described Chainlink as the "connective tissue" of tokenization, essential for bringing traditional finance (TradFi) on-chain. He emphasized its role in delivering reliable real-world data, regulatory-grade compliance solutions, and integrations necessary for tokenized assets, stablecoins, and DeFi to function at scale.
This endorsement coincides with the launch of the Grayscale Chainlink Trust ETF (GLNK), which began trading on NYSE Arca. The ETF provides institutional investors with direct exposure to LINK, potentially offering the regulatory clarity needed for broader adoption. Pandl highlighted the massive growth potential for real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, noting the current market is only about $30–35 billion, a tiny fraction of the global $300 trillion equity and bond markets. He estimates the RWA market could expand by up to 1,000x over the next five years.
Despite this fundamental optimism, technical analysis presents a contrasting picture. Charts indicate LINK is in a critical phase, with price action compressing near key long-term support within a well-defined descending channel. Analysts note that sellers remain structurally in control, with repeated recovery attempts failing at descending resistance. The lack of sustained upward momentum and uneven volume activity suggests downside risk persists unless the price can reclaim this resistance and shift the market structure.
Price predictions suggest a breakout above the $24 resistance level could confirm a trend shift, potentially targeting new all-time highs. However, this is contingent on significant near-term TradFi adoption. Some analysts caution that the full impact of RWA growth on LINK's value may take five to ten years to materialize fully.
