Standard Chartered Forecast: LINK Could Rise to $200 by 2030
My market analysis points to growing institutional interest in the tokenization of real-world assets, and a fresh forecast from a major bank confirms this. Standard Chartered analysts have revised their view on Chainlink (LINK), raising the target price to $200 by the end of 2030. This implies a growth potential of roughly 25 times from current levels around $8 per token.
The key thesis is built on positioning Chainlink as critical infrastructure for tokenized assets. In my assessment, this is not just a speculative forecast but a bet on the protocol's fundamental role in the future financial system. The bank's head of digital asset research, Geoff Kendrick, calls the protocol the "only end-to-end platform" capable of supporting the full lifecycle of tokenized assets—from issuance to compliance in DeFi and traditional finance.
The logic here is simple: as assets move to an on-chain format, the market will need reliable external oracles, secure cross-chain interoperability, and tools for meeting regulatory requirements. These are precisely the niches Chainlink fills. The bank expects network fee generation to grow roughly 25-fold by 2030, which correlates with the price forecast.
The list of Chainlink service users includes giants such as SWIFT, DTCC, Euroclear, JPMorgan, Mastercard, UBS, Fidelity, and S&P Global. This is not just a client list—it is an indicator that the technology is already embedded within the ecosystem of the world's largest financial institutions.
However, I would not ignore the risks that Kendrick himself highlights. Among them:
- a slowdown in the pace of institutional tokenization, which could push back the horizon for achieving the target;
- growing competition from specialized providers in individual segments;
- technical or configuration failures that could undermine trust in the platform.
Notably, the market is already showing momentum in this direction: based on my calculations using CoinShares data, the volume of RWA on credit platforms and DEXs grew to $7.4 billion in the second quarter, up from $2.3 billion a year earlier. This confirms the trend that analysts are betting on.
My comment: The forecast looks ambitious but not unfounded. However, investors should remember: a 25-fold increase over 5 years is a bet on mass adoption of the technology, which could proceed faster or slower than expected. I would view such targets as a long-term benchmark rather than a guaranteed outcome.