Stellar News Today: Chainlink's Cross-Chain Expansion Drives Institutional DeFi Growth

Chainlink's (LINK) native token saw a 3.6% rebound on Friday, reversing recent losses as traders tested key support levels, according to a a Yahoo Finance report. The price briefly climbed above $17 amid a surge in trading volume—3 million tokens changed hands during a morning breakout—suggesting renewed accumulation. However, weakness during U.S. trading hours pushed the token back below $17, with recent trades hovering near $16.96. Technical analysis highlights critical support at $16.37 and resistance at $17.46, with a 78% volume spike during the breakout indicating institutional interest and position rebalancing.

The price movement coincided with Stellar (XLM) integrating Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP), Data Feeds, and Data Streams. This partnership enables developers and institutions on Stellar to access real-time data and cross-chain infrastructure for tokenized assets, expanding the blockchain's DeFi footprint. Stellar's adoption of Chainlink tools underscores growing demand for secure, interoperable financial infrastructure, with the network already processing $5.4 billion in quarterly real-world asset (RWA) volume, according to a Crypto.news report. Johann Eid, Chainlink Labs' chief business officer, noted the integration would accelerate Stellar's ability to scale for institutional-grade tokenization.

Meanwhile, TON's integration of Chainlink's CCIP and Data Streams marked another strategic expansion for the oracle network. The update, announced in late October, was reported by Blockonomi. The change allows Toncoin to transfer securely across 60+ blockchains under the Cross-Chain Token (CCT) standard. TON's ecosystem now gains access to real-time, low-latency data for DeFi applications, including algorithmic trading and derivatives. Glenn Brown of the TON Foundation called the collaboration a "major step" in preparing TON for global-scale use cases.

Chainlink's market cap of $11.5 billion and 24-hour trading volume of $1.2 billion reflect its entrenched role in DeFi infrastructure, according to a LiveBitcoinNews analysis. Analysts highlight the network's resilience amid market volatility, driven by its integration across DeFi protocols and growing institutional adoption. The Stellar and TON partnerships reinforce Chainlink's position as a backbone for cross-chain activity, linking disparate ecosystems while addressing RWA tokenization needs, as noted in the Yahoo Finance piece and reporting from Blockonomi.

The broader DeFi landscape is seeing momentum from interoperability solutions and institutional-grade infrastructure. With Stellar and TON leveraging Chainlink's tools to enhance liquidity and scalability, the oracle network's influence extends beyond its native token. As DeFi and RWA markets mature, Chainlink's ability to bridge real-world data with blockchain ecosystems positions it as a critical player in the evolving financial infrastructure landscape, as discussed by Crypto.news and in a CryptoTimes article.