Chainlink's native token, LINK, reached $13.64 on September 7, marking its highest price since January 18. The asset grew by 6.8% in 24 hours, outperforming most of the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market cap. Open interest in LINK derivatives contracts also reached an 11-month high of $784 million.
The growth is linked to a partnership with Bottomline, a top-three SWIFT services provider. Bottomline processes more than $16 trillion in payments annually and serves approximately 1,200 financial institutions and 10,000 businesses worldwide. The deal aims to connect over 600 bank customers to blockchain settlement.
The integration uses Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP), which has been active since July 2023 and spans over 60 blockchains. Additionally, the Chainlink Runtime Environment (CRE) will manage payment workflows. This allows banks to continue using ISO 20022 messages, a global standard with 97% adoption since a November 2025 switchover.
Other bullish factors include the Federal Reserve's upcoming rate decision on September 16 and the listing of LINK on the Charles Schwab retail crypto trading platform alongside Solana and Avalanche. Standard Chartered has also cited Chainlink's $110 billion in secured value, setting a price target of $200 for LINK by 2030.
