Analysts at international bank Standard Chartered have presented a bold outlook that has stirred discussion about the future of digital finance. According to their latest study, the market for tokenized real-world assets is expected to reach USD 4 trillion by the end of 2028. The Chainlink network is expected to become a key infrastructure for this massive shift of capital, with the bank projecting as much as a 25-fold increase in the price of its LINK token – from the current approximately USD 8 to as much as USD 200 by 2030.

Massive Potential for DeFi and the Role of the Chainlink Network

Standard Chartered’s Global Head of Digital Assets Research, Geoff Kendrick, bases this price target primarily on the expected development of the entire decentralized finance (DeFi) segment, according to a report provided to Cointelegraph. In this sector, the volume of tokenized and crypto-native assets could reach as much as USD 2.7 trillion by the end of 2030, which represents an approximately 37-fold increase compared with the current level. The scale of this capital shift will require a continuous and secure supply of external data, from which Chainlink should benefit, according to Kendrick, through greater use of its network and the subsequent growth of generated fees.

Growing Trading Volume and Dominance Among Oracle Networks

The expectations are also supported by current market data, which show accelerating interest in tokenized products. According to data from the CryptoRank analytics platform, trading volume of tokenized RWAs on decentralized exchanges reached a record USD 141 billion in July, representing a month-on-month increase of 19.5%. The main driver of this growth was primarily tokenized publicly traded shares.

As the volume of assets transferred to blockchain grows, the demand for secure data processing and verification also increases. Chainlink maintains a significantly dominant position in the oracle services sector. According to data from the DeFiLlama platform, the total value secured by this network amounts to USD 34.4 billion, while the second-largest provider in this segment, the Chronicle project, secures assets worth USD 7.36 billion. Chainlink therefore currently secures approximately 4.7 times more capital than its closest competitor.

Technical Market Requirements and Risk Factors of the Optimistic Scenario

Broader adoption of tokenization in the institutional environment requires solving more complex technical tasks. According to Kendrick, the growing market will require stable transmission of external data, seamless connectivity between different blockchains, compliance with regulatory standards while preserving privacy protection, and direct integration with traditional banking infrastructure. Kendrick emphasizes that Chainlink has the capacity to provide these services at the required scale, which should lead to greater use of the network and increased demand for the LINK token.

Potential Risks

However, looking at the overall picture also brings specific warnings. Standard Chartered itself defines three main risks in its report that could threaten the stated USD 200 price target. The first is a slower pace of institutional adoption of tokenized assets by traditional financial players. The second threat is intensifying competition and the emergence of specialized oracle providers. Finally, the expected development could also be slowed by potential technical failures, vulnerabilities or unforeseen incidents within the protocol itself.

Warning: The content of this article is intended exclusively for informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation to purchase a specific asset. Investments in crypto-assets involve a high level of risk. The value of crypto-assets may fall as well as rise, and you may lose the entire amount invested. Crypto-assets are not protected by deposit guarantee schemes. Past returns are not a guarantee of future results.