Chainlink (LINK) is an oracle platform powered by decentralised oracle networks (DONs) that enables developers and institutions to access verifiable data, cross-chain interoperability (via CCIP), off-chain compute (Functions), compliance tooling (ACE), privacy features such as encrypted secrets, and connectivity to existing systems for blockchain applications. LINK, the network’s native token, is used to pay for services and to reward node operators, aligning incentives around reliable oracle delivery. Founded in 2017 by Sergey Nazarov and Steve Ellis, Chainlink supports use cases across institutional tokenised assets, lending, payments and stablecoins, helping applications operate on consistent, verifiable inputs across chains.