Institutional capital is showing a clear preference for Chainlink over major rivals like Ethereum and Dogecoin in early 2026, despite strong on-chain fundamentals for the latter. Chainlink’s spot ETF saw $4.05 million in inflows while Ethereum’s saw significant outflows. Chainlink’s integration into Korea’s stablecoin expansion and record-high total value secured underpin this institutional shift.
Despite strong on-chain activity, institutional investors appear hesitant towards major cryptocurrencies like Ethereum in the 2026 cycle. Ethereum is down 11% in 2025 even after its network upgrades delivered record transaction levels.
Data from SoSoValue showed Ethereum spot ETFs experienced nearly $664 million in outflows in a single week. In a stark contrast, the Grayscale spot ETF for Chainlink attracted $4.05 million in inflows over the same period.
This divergence suggests capital is rotating into Chainlink beyond short-term speculation. The flows even outpaced those for Dogecoin, which has a market cap nearly three times larger.
The resurgence of decentralized finance (DeFi) is a key backdrop, with total value locked across blockchains reclaiming $170 billion. Chainlink is positioning itself at the center of this growth, notably joining the Global Alliance for KRW Stablecoins.
This integration places the network directly within South Korea’s stablecoin expansion, strengthening its fundamentals in compliance and interoperability. The network’s total value secured also hit a record $70 billion in Q4 2025.
That metric reflects the total assets powered by Chainlink‘s oracles, signaling strong adoption and real-world usage. Given this context, the institutional interest appears fundamentally driven rather than speculative.
