Grayscale Introduces Chainlink Trust ETF GLNK for Investors

Grayscale has launched the Grayscale Chainlink Trust ETF, trading under the ticker GLNK. The fund is designed to reflect the value of Chainlink (LINK) held by the fund, less expenses and liabilities. It offers investors a new way to gain exposure to Chainlink without directly holding the token.

The ETF is structured as a passive investment in LINK and provides a 0% management fee for the first three months or until the fund reaches $1 billion in assets. After that, the annual fee will be 0.35%. This makes the fund more attractive to early investors.

Bitwise has also launched the Bitwise Chainlink ETF (CLNK), which began trading on January 14, 2026. CLNK offers similar exposure to Chainlink but with a slightly lower fee of 0.34%, which is also waived for the first three months on the first $500 million in assets according to reports.

Why Did This Happen?

Grayscale introduced GLNK to meet growing demand for blockchain infrastructure exposure. Chainlink is a leading oracle network that connects blockchains to real-world data. This infrastructure is essential for decentralized finance (DeFi), tokenized assets, and cross-chain systems.

Chainlink is considered foundational infrastructure for digital finance and is expected to grow as tokenization and web3 adoption increases. Grayscale and Bitwise are positioning their funds to capture this growth and offer traditional investors a way to participate without the complexities of holding crypto directly.

How Did Markets Respond?

Chainlink's price reached a monthly high of $14.25 on January 19, 2026, following the launch of both ETFs. The increased institutional interest is seen as a positive sign for the broader crypto market. However, analysts note that the high volatility of Chainlink remains a risk for investors.

Both GLNK and CLNK have started attracting assets. Grayscale's GLNK has accumulated $87.5 million in assets since its launch in December 2025, while Bitwise's CLNK is currently underperforming in terms of asset accumulation.

What Are Analysts Watching Next?

Analysts are closely monitoring the performance of both ETFs to gauge the demand for Chainlink infrastructure exposure. The competition between Grayscale and Bitwise may lead to fee reductions or other incentives for investors.

Market observers are also watching how the broader crypto market reacts to these new investment vehicles. If these ETFs gain traction, they could signal a shift in how traditional investors approach blockchain assets.

Chainlink's role in blockchain applications, including DeFi and tokenization, is expected to grow as more financial assets move on-chain. Analysts are also evaluating the regulatory landscape for these ETFs, as they are not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940.