Chainlink Surges 8.03% on Whale Activity and Institutional Adoption Rally

Chainlink’s native token LINK has surged to its highest level in seven months, reaching above $26 on August 18, driven by increased whale activity and growing institutional adoption [1]. The price has maintained strength, retreating slightly to $24.71 at press time but remaining well above its average levels. This rally has positioned LINK as the sole positive performer among the top 15 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization in the last 24 hours.

A key catalyst for the price action is the surge in derivatives market activity. According to CoinGlass data, open interest in LINK futures has hit an all-time high of $1.5 billion, reflecting a nearly 60% increase since the beginning of 2025. Open interest, which measures the number of active futures contracts, is seen as a strong indicator of market confidence [1].

On-chain data further supports the bullish narrative. Santiment reports that 9,813 addresses processed LINK transfers on August 17 alone, and more than 9,600 new wallets were created the following day. These figures represent the highest user engagement levels of the year and suggest growing adoption alongside price momentum [1].

Whale activity has also contributed to the optimism surrounding the token. A major whale wallet was observed withdrawing approximately 1.29 million LINK (worth $31 million) from Binance over four days. Such movements are typically interpreted as signs of long-term holding intentions rather than short-term selling, reinforcing a positive market sentiment [1].

Institutional interest in Chainlink continues to expand. As of August 18, over 30 firms were testing or piloting Chainlink’s blockchain solutions. These include global financial institutions such as Visa, Mastercard, JPMorgan, BNY Mellon, and Fidelity International, as well as central banks and regional banks in Brazil, Europe, and Asia [1]. Chainlink’s community liaison, Zach Rynes, emphasized the platform’s role in enabling the adoption of blockchains and tokenized assets via a modular infrastructure already supporting most of decentralized finance (DeFi).

Chainlink currently holds the 11th position in market capitalization, with a value of $17.57 billion and a 24-hour trading volume of $2.55 billion. The price has increased by 8.03% over the past 24 hours, as of 4:15 pm UTC on August 20, 2025 [1].

Source: [1] Chainlink hits 7-month high with whale support and new partnerships (https://cryptoslate.com/chainlink-hits-7-month-high-with-whale-support-and-new-partnerships/)