
Chainlink (LINKUSD) is a blockchain network that was created to solve the “blockchain oracle” problem, which is the inability of blockchains to access external, real-world data. Chainlink's niche gives it an indispensable use case, and it has climbed to become the 12th-largest crypto project by market capitalization today.
The protocol is undeniably useful, but its native token, LINK, has been a receipt rather than a necessity. Node operators are paid in LINK, but that single use was not a value driver, and it has underperformed other cryptos like Bitcoin (BTCUSD) significantly since 2021.