Here’s Why Chainlink (LINK) Surged by Double Digits to Monthly Highs

Chainlink (LINK) went through a massive price surge in the past day, rising over 18% following the successful completion of a pilot program with the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC).

The pilot, known as Smart NAV, is an initiative aimed at streamlining the tokenization of traditional finance funds, paving the way for broader institutional adoption of blockchain technology.

DTCC Completes Blockchain Pilot Project

The DTCC, the world’s largest securities settlement system, collaborated with Chainlink and several major U.S. financial institutions to conduct the Smart NAV pilot. According to a report published by DTCC on Thursday, the project aimed to establish a standardized process for delivering and disseminating net asset value (NAV) data of funds across both private and public blockchains using Chainlink’s interoperability protocol, CCIP.

The pilot’s completion demonstrated that structured data could be effectively delivered on-chain and embedded into various on-chain use cases, such as tokenized funds and bulk consumer smart contracts. These smart contracts hold data for multiple funds and support future industry exploration and numerous downstream applications, including brokerage portfolio tools.

By integrating on-chain data delivery and creating standardized roles and processes, the DTCC found that it could enable real-time, more automated data dissemination and provide built-in access to historical data.

This innovation could power several future industry explorations and operational processes, offering benefits such as enhanced efficiency, faster settlements, and greater transparency.

Chainlink’s LINK token responded positively to the news of the pilot’s success, rising more than 18% at one point and exceeding $16 for the first time since April 12. At writing time, the token is trading at $16.5, with a daily trading volume of slightly over $1 billion, marking a 195.4% increase in the last 24 hours.

Real-World Assets Tokenization

The pilot comes amid a broader trend of tokenizing real-world assets (RWA) such as bonds, funds, and other traditional investments. Tokenization has emerged as one of the most popular applications for blockchain technology, attracting financial heavyweights such as BlackRock, Citi, and HSBC.

These institutions seek the benefits that blockchain technology offers, including operational efficiencies, faster settlements, and improved transparency compared to traditional financial systems.

Prominent financial entities participated in the Smart NAV project, including American Century Investments, BNY Mellon, Edward Jones, Franklin Templeton, Invesco, JPMorgan, MFS Investment Management, Mid Atlantic Trust, State Street, and U.S. Bank.

Smart NAV is centered around providing trusted, verifiable data across blockchain networks to support business workflows. DTCC served as the data provider and governor of the on-chain solution, while Chainlink’s CCIP acted as the interoperability layer.