Chainlink became the highest gainer, rising by 5.20%, while the encryption market experienced a fall.

Chainlink (LINK) is showing strong bullish momentum, becoming the coin with the largest increase in the last 24 hours, with a rise of 5.20%, priced at US$25.09, while the encryption market is falling, Monday (18/08).
The main catalyst for LINK today is the strategic partnership between Chainlink and the international exchange (ICE), which is the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), aimed at providing real-time foreign exchange and precious metal prices through Chainlink's oracle network.
This step positions LINK as a key infrastructure, bridging traditional finance ( TradFi ) with decentralized finance ( DeFi ). Considering that ICE data is used by over 2000 applications, the adoption of Chainlink by large entities further strengthens its role in the tokenized asset ecosystem.
Historically, LINK often experiences a significant rise after major partnerships are announced, such as a 12.4% increase after its integration with Mastercard in June 2025.
On the other hand, the activity of large investors or whales shows significant accumulation signals. On August 17, a whale known for accurately grasping market cycles purchased 938,489 LINK worth $21.25 million.
LINK's reserves on the exchange have fallen to their lowest level in months, reinforcing signals of weakened selling pressure. In addition, data shows that large wallets holding between 100,000 and 1 million LINK increased their holdings by 4.2% in August, indicating continued accumulation.