$LINK, the native cryptocurrency of decentralized Oracle network, Chainlink, is down 3.5% on Thursday, to currently trade at $8.62 mark. The move aligns with a broader risk-off rotation away from altcoins following the significant hacks on a Solana-based DeFi protocol. While the falling Chainlink price signals the continuation of its near-term sideways trend, a substantial accumulation from its reverse protocol signals a high conviction for $LINK’s potential recovery.
Chainlink Adds $1.17M $LINK Despite Market Weakness
On April 2nd, the crypto market witnessed a notable downtick of 2.2% which pulled its market cap to $2.3 trillion. Escalating U.S.-Iran tension significantly weighed on market sentiment as despite Donald Trump’s claim of ongoing war coming to end but offered no concrete plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
In addition, the selling pressure in the altcoin market accelerated further as a Solana-based drift protocol suffered a security breach, resulting in the theft of approximately $285 million in digital assets. The move triggered capital outflow from the broader DeFi sector and major altcoins like $LINK.
In the latest update, Chainlink added 137,004 $LINK tokens to its reserve fund, which amounted to more than $1.17 million. This adds up to approximately 2.93 million of $LINK, which is currently worth about 25.2 million.
The mean cost of purchase of the accrued tokens is $13.35 per $LINK.
The reserve has two key sources: the fees paid by large companies that utilize Chainlink services outside of the blockchain, and the fees paid on the network when the Chainlink is actively used.
These inflows are meant to accumulate the fund constantly. The mechanism is expected to enhance the entire ecosystem with a gradual rise in the quantity of $LINK reserves.
Chainlink Price Nearing Bearish Breakdown from $7.7 Floor
Over the past two weeks, the Chainlink price showcased a bearish reversal from $10 psychological level to current trading value of $8.2, registering a loss of roughly 15%. This pullback displayed with a series of lower high and lower low formations with sufficient surge in trading volume indicated sustained selling pressure in the market.
If the current momentum persists, the Chainlink price could plunge another 10% and retest the bottom trendline of current consolidation trend at $7.77. Since February 2026, the coin price has been actively resonating between the $10 and $7.7 mark, creating a short-term consolidation in price.
A sharp downtick in daily exponential moving average (100 and 200) accentuating the broader market sentiment is bearish.
A bearish breakdown below the bottom below the aforementioned support could further accelerate the selling pressure and push Chainlink price to $0.7 immediate support of $0.7 followed by a deeper dive towards $6.5.
On the contrary, if the buyers manage to defend the $7.7 line, the current consolidation could prolong.
