Deep Dive
1. Macro-Driven Market Selloff
Chainlink’s decline mirrors the broader crypto slump. The catalyst was U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stating on February 5 that the government cannot bail out crypto or direct banks to do so (Yahoo Finance), amplifying fears of a hawkish Federal Reserve under Trump’s nominee Kevin Warsh. This macro shock caused correlated selling across assets.
What it means: LINK acted as a high-beta altcoin, falling almost exactly in line with the market, indicating the move was not coin-specific.
Watch for: Bitcoin’s ability to hold $67,000 and any further U.S. policy announcements.
2. Leverage Unwind & Sector Pressure
Global crypto derivatives open interest rose 13.04% in 24h, and BTC liquidations totaled $352.85M, signaling a flush of leveraged longs. Social data shows Chainlink is frequently grouped with struggling Layer 1 and DeFi narratives, which are down over 10% daily.
What it means: Forced selling from over-leveraged traders compounded the downturn, while sector rotation away from infrastructure tokens like oracles added pressure.
Watch for: A stabilization in global funding rates (currently slightly positive) and open interest trends.
3. Near-term Market Outlook
Technically, LINK has broken below its recent swing low of $8.82 and trades under all key moving averages, with RSI at 35.06 nearing oversold. The nearest Fibonacci retracement resistance is $9.26 (50% level).
What it means: The structure is bearish but approaching levels where selling may exhaust. A hold above $8.00 could set a near-term base.
Watch for: A daily close above $9.26 to signal a potential relief rally; a break below $8.00 could accelerate losses toward $7.50.
Conclusion
Market Outlook: Bearish Pressure
Chainlink’s drop is a symptom of a macro-driven crypto washout, amplified by leverage and sector weakness.
Key watch: Whether Bitcoin can reclaim $70,000 to ease altcoin selling pressure, or if further policy headlines extend the risk-off move.