Chainlink sees accumulation yet price slips – What’s going on?

Chainlink drew attention from whales, institutions, and retail traders despite persistent market weakness. On-chain data showed heavy accumulation, yet price action lagged.

Chainlink’s exchange reserves hit yearly low

CryptoQuant’s Exchange Reserve data showed that over 44.98 million LINK left exchanges during the past year. That decline pushed Chainlink’s [LINK] reserves to their lowest level in a year.

In crypto markets, falling exchange reserves often indicated accumulation, as investors moved tokens into self-custody. That behavior typically reduced sell-side pressure.

Source: CryptoQuant

However, LINK’s price failed to reflect that signal. During the same period, the token dropped sharply from nearly $29 to around $13.60.

That divergence left traders questioning whether accumulation alone was enough to offset broader market pressure.

Wall Street flows failed to lift LINK

Beyond crypto-native demand, institutional interest also emerged through U.S. Spot Chainlink exchange-traded funds. Data from SoSoValue showed Spot LINK ETFs recorded inflows since their launch on the 2nd of December.

Source: SoSoValue

Those inflows reflected fresh capital entering the products, which often added buying pressure to the underlying asset. Even so, LINK’s price continued to trend lower.

That weakness aligned with broader market conditions. The wider crypto market remained under pressure after momentum faded around the 10th of October.

Volume dries up as price slips

At press time, LINK traded near $13.65, down about 2.25 % over 24 hours. Trading activity also thinned sharply.

Spot Volume fell over 48% to roughly $295.6 million during the same period. Lower participation suggested traders stayed cautious amid uncertain conditions.

That slowdown reinforced the lack of conviction behind recent price moves.

Source: TradingView

On the daily chart, LINK traded inside a consolidation range between $13.19 and $14.70 since early December. Price hovered near the lower boundary of that range.

That zone also acted as key support around $13.20. A failure to hold that level could expose LINK to further downside.

Based on historical structure, a breakdown from consolidation could open the door to a decline of roughly 16%. Below $13.20, visible support remained limited.

Meanwhile, the Average Directional Index stood near 20.91. Readings below 25 indicated weak trend strength.

Traders’ eyes on short positions 

Amid this, traders appear to be cautious and seem to be following the broader market trend.

Data from CoinGlass revealed that traders were over-leveraged at $13.45 on the lower side and $13.99 on the upper side. At these levels, they have built $2.01 million worth of long-leveraged positions and $3.04 million worth of short-leveraged positions.

Source: CoinGlass

Taken together, near-term sentiment leaned bearish. Even so, declining exchange reserves and steady ETF inflows hinted at longer-term accumulation beneath the surface.

Final Thoughts

• Chainlink’s data painted a mixed picture where accumulation signals clashed with fragile market participation.
• Price may stay pressured unless broader sentiment improves, leaving traders watching whether patience or downside breaks first.