Chainlink’s price has rebounded to $18.60 following an announcement of a strategic partnership with S&P Global Ratings, designed to provide Stablecoin Stability Assessments directly on the blockchain through the oracle network’s DataLink infrastructure. This recovery comes on the heels of LINK dipping to $18.22 earlier in the trading session.
This collaboration marks a significant milestone, enabling S&P Global to publish its stablecoin risk evaluations directly on blockchain infrastructure. For the first time, independent stablecoin risk analysis will be accessible within decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols and smart contracts.
Through this partnership, over 2,400 financial institutions will gain access to standardized risk evaluation metrics, encompassing credit, market, and custody risks associated with stablecoins in the marketplace.
Chuck Mounts, Chief DeFi Officer at S&P Global, emphasized that the launch of on-chain Stablecoin Stability Assessments (SSAs) underscores the company’s commitment to meeting clients where they operate, with the assessments initially going live on the Base network.
The stablecoin sector has surged past $300 billion in total value, and S&P Global’s on-chain assessments aim to enhance transparency while fostering adoption within regulated financial environments.
Technical Patterns Indicate Potential Upsurge
Market analyst Ali Martinez has indicated that Chainlink is currently situated within a favorable buy zone, potentially leading to a price surge toward the $100 mark. The LINK token is trading within a symmetrical triangle pattern that has been forming since 2022.
The lower boundary of this pattern, positioned near $15, has consistently provided support, while resistance around $21 is the key level that must be breached for a bullish breakout to materialize. Martinez previously identified $20 as a critical support level that could trigger a rally toward $47 as an intermediate target. A confirmed breakout above the $21 resistance could pave the way for further increases to $37, then $55, and ultimately to $100.
Institutional Adoption Grows
Sergey Nazarov, co-founder of Chainlink, highlighted the partnership’s potential to facilitate the large-scale adoption of stablecoins by some of the world’s most significant institutions. He pointed out that S&P Global Ratings is a highly trusted credit rating provider utilized by major banks, asset managers, and governments.
Over the past five years, the oracle network has processed more than $25 trillion in transaction value and currently secures nearly $100 billion in total value locked across various DeFi protocols.
Chainlink has established partnerships with industry giants such as Swift, Euroclear, J.P. Morgan, Fidelity, UBS, and Mastercard, further solidifying its position in the market. The recent collaboration with S&P Global adds another prestigious name to its expanding roster of institutional partners.
S&P Global has actively expanded its DeFi operations since launching its inaugural cryptocurrency index series in May 2021. The company established a dedicated DeFi group under Chuck Mounts in May 2022. Notably, in December 2023, S&P Global launched its Stablecoin Stability Assessments framework and assigned the first-ever credit rating for a DeFi protocol in August 2025.
Market Performance Remains Challenged
Despite the positive news surrounding the partnership, LINK is down 5% in the past 24 hours and has seen an 18% decline over the past week, reflecting broader cryptocurrency market weaknesses driven by tariff-related volatility and sector-wide corrections.
The partnership announcement did provide some temporary price support amidst an otherwise negative market backdrop, with chart patterns indicating consolidation around the current $18.60 level following a bounce from the lows of $18.22.
Lending platforms, DeFi protocols, and institutional investors can now integrate S&P Global’s analytical risk assessments directly into their automated decision-making processes. The on-chain SSAs enable real-time access to comprehensive stability assessments within blockchain infrastructure.
S&P Global plans to expand its services to additional networks based on market demand and client feedback. This partnership timing allows investors to evaluate their positions during a period of market weakness while institutional adoption continues to evolve.
