Chainlink (LINK) remains in the price range of $12 to $15 as large investors accumulate tokens while retail interest declines.
Market Situation of LINK
On-chain data shows a stable negative net flow of LINK from exchanges of approximately 100,000 LINK per week, indicating that large investors are absorbing sell pressure without significant price changes.
Critical Tests for LINK
CryptoQuant noted that this trend contrasts with occasional retail-driven spikes, such as the March 2025 influx of 5 million LINK; however, overall activity remained steady at about 28,000 to 32,000 active addresses per day. Despite increased oracle utility, retail investors failed to capitalize on a minor activity bump seen in late 2024. The urgency of whales is evident as withdrawal transactions from exchanges peaked at 3,000 per day in Q4 2024 and remain high, steadily draining exchange reserves by approximately 40% year-to-date.
Collaboration with Mastercard and Visa
Last month, the decentralized oracle network partnered with Mastercard to allow 3 billion cardholders to purchase crypto directly on-chain using fiat payments. This collaboration utilizes interoperability infrastructure and Mastercard's global network to remove barriers to crypto access. Additionally, Chainlink completed a pilot project with Visa under the HKMA’s e-HKD+ initiative, testing cross-border investment transactions using CBDCs and stablecoins. The pilot demonstrated instant access to investment funds, reducing settlement times from days to mere seconds.
In the ongoing stalemate and in the absence of new growth catalysts, an increase in retail participation or a slowdown in whale withdrawals will be necessary for unlocking LINK's price range.
