Chainlink (LINK) led the CoinDesk 20 index with an 8.4% gain, significantly outperforming the broader market’s 4% rise. This surge coincided with renewed interest in oracle networks following several high-profile DeFi protocol launches requiring reliable real-world data feeds. LINK’s price action also reflected technical recovery after recent underperformance relative to other infrastructure tokens.
The rally occurred amid improving altcoin market sentiment, with NEAR Protocol also gaining 8.2%. Both assets benefited from reduced selling pressure after weekend liquidations subsided and geopolitical tensions eased. Traders appeared to rotate capital into mid-cap projects with strong fundamental use cases.
LINK’s outperformance highlights how specialized blockchain infrastructure projects can capture investor attention during market rebounds. Its recovery suggests traders are reappraising oracle networks’ critical role in enabling complex smart contracts as DeFi activity increases.