Chainlink Price Could Hit $30: Why Is This One Metric Falling?

Key Insights:

• Chainlink price is targeting $30.67, but slowing money inflows may pause the rally.
• Whale activity shows confidence, yet exchange inflows hint at short-term profit-taking.
• DeFi growth supports long-term upside, but CMF suggests fewer new buyers for now.

The Chainlink price has quietly climbed over 5% in the last 24 hours, trading near $24.90, even as the rest of the crypto market cools off.

The cryptocurrency’s year-to-date performance is even stronger; LINK has gained over 140% in the past year. But despite this strong move, one metric is flashing a caution sign.

Chainlink’s Oracle network helps connect real-world data to blockchains. That makes it one of the most useful tools in DeFi. And that’s one reason why investors are watching it closely now.

Based on current momentum and past price behavior, Chainlink could climb to $30.67 in the short term. But there’s a catch.

Whale Activity Is Still Bullish, but Some Traders Are Taking Profits

Let’s look at what the big wallets are doing first. One whale just spent 4,806 ETH — that’s about $21.25 million — to scoop up nearly 1 million LINK across five different wallets. That same whale has a track record of smart moves; they sold SHIB at the top, and they even traded the USDC depeg. So that’s a solid vote of confidence.

But at the same time, LINK inflows to exchanges spiked above $30 million. That means some holders are getting ready to sell, or at least thinking about it.

Large inflows like these usually show that investors are moving funds into exchanges, which they often do before booking profits.

That’s not bearish by itself, but it does suggest that the easy upside might slow down.

The Nansen dashboard, over the past 24 hours, has been sending out another clear signal. The top 100 LINK addresses have been dumping. Even though the dump isn’t aggressive yet, the signs point to profit booking and consolidation.

The Hidden Warning Signal for the Chainlink Price

One of the clearest warning signs right now comes from the Chaikin Money Flow (CMF). This indicator tracks how much new money is entering an asset. When CMF rises, it shows that fresh capital is flowing in.

But right now, the CMF is falling, even though LINK’s price is going up. That means the price rally may not have enough fresh demand behind it.

So the whales are buying, and the price is rising, but the fuel from new buyers might be drying up a little. That’s usually a sign of weakening momentum, and it often leads to a bit of sideways movement or short-term consolidation.

What Traders Should Watch Out For

If Chainlink price holds above $23.50, bulls still have a good shot. Below that, some support lies near $20, where buyers previously stepped in.

A clean move above $25 could open the gates for a rally toward $30.67, which is the Fibonacci level traders are watching.

The bigger picture still looks strong. Chainlink’s DeFi TVL jumped from $917 million to $981 million in just five days. That means more users are locking value into Chainlink-enabled DApps. This growing usage is a good sign for LINK in the long run.

But for now, traders might want to wait and see if the current momentum holds. If new money returns and the CMF starts climbing again, LINK could start moving faster toward that $30 target.

Chainlink price has shown strong gains and real usage growth, but rising exchange inflows and dropping CMF suggest the short-term rally may pause. Long-term outlook stays strong; just expect some bumps on the way to $30.