Standard Chartered has initiated research coverage of the Chainlink token (LINK/USD),
forecasting a price of $200 by the end of 2030, up from around $8 today, implying an increase of more than 2,000%. Jeff Kendrick, the bank's global head of digital asset research, noted in his research note that the token is well-positioned to benefit from the accelerating adoption of tokenization and decentralized finance.
Chainlink, described in the research note as "the market leader in blockchain data transfer via decentralized oracles," provides secure blockchain connections to approximately 70% of global DeFi markets and more than 80% on the Ethereum network, with the total transaction volume facilitated by the platform exceeding $32 trillion.
Kendrick predicts that the value of tokenized assets on the blockchain will grow to $4 trillion by the end of 2028 from approximately $340 billion today, while assets in DeFi are expected to increase 37-fold to $2.7 trillion by the end of 2030. According to the analyst, Chainlink is "the only end-to-end platform capable of supporting the full lifecycle of tokenized assets" in both decentralized finance (DeFi) and traditional finance (TradFi).
The platform integrates four components: the Onchain Data Protocol, which enables external data transfer to the blockchain; the Cross-chain Interoperability Protocol, the second-largest interoperability solution after LayerZero; compliance and privacy tools, including the Automated Compliance Engine; and the Chainlink Runtime Environment, which integrates all other services into a single workflow.
Institutional adoption is already well underway: Kendrick notes that companies and organizations using Chainlink's services include Swift, the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC), Euroclear, JPMorgan, Mastercard, UBS, Fidelity, and S&P Global.
While DeFi protocols continue to generate the majority of Chainlink's fee revenue, the bank expects TradFi to become an increasingly important source of rewards over time. Standard Chartered estimates that Chainlink's total fee volume could grow approximately 25-fold by the end of 2030, driven by a projected 20-fold increase in oracle fees from TradFi's OTC clients and a 37-fold increase in fees associated with the expansion of DeFi assets.
Assuming a linear relationship between fee growth and token price, Kendrick stated that this "implies a 25-fold increase in LINK's price over the same period—outpacing both ETH and BTC over the entire forecast horizon."
Standard Chartered's annual forecasts suggest LINK will reach $13 by the end of 2026, $41 by 2027, $82 by 2028, and $133 by 2029, before reaching $200 in 2030.
The bank identified key risks to its forecast, including a slower-than-expected pace of institutional tokenization, competition from specialized providers, and potential technical glitches.