What Is Chainlink?

About Chainlink (LINK)

Chainlink is a decentralized oracle network that connects blockchain-based smart contracts to external data, payment networks, and various real-world events. It is known to have a secure infrastructure that allows smart contracts to link to APIs to communicate with and obtain data from external sources.

The main aim of the project is to optimize and expand the usage of smart contracts and to reduce the possibility of information fault or inaccuracy. Oracle nodes receive real-world data, proceed it through the network and take it to the blockchain. Oracle operators that contribute to the Chainlink harvesting and transmission have a reward in LINK tokens. Chainlink native cryptocurrency, called LINK, is one of the main components of its decentralized network.

LINK is an Ethereum token based on the ERC667 standard, which makes it compatible with the popular ERC20 standard as well. This means that LINK tokens can be stored in any Ethereum wallet.

Some experts predict to see LINK reaching around $10 and making it to the top 10 cryptocurrencies in CoinMarketCap by mid-2020.

Where did Chainlink (LINK) come from?

The project was launched by SmartContract company established in 2014. It has offices in New York and San Francisco, which makes Chainlink an American project.

The company cooperates with the interbank data transfer and payment system SWIFT, which covers 11 thousand banks worldwide.

ICO was held on September 19th, 2017.

The project was laying low during the bear market of 2018. Almost nobody was talking about Chainlink and the LINK token crashed down like every other altcoin. However, in summer of 2019 LINK token moved from $0.5 to over $4 in just two months.

What are the advantages of Chainlink (LINK)?

1. The most important factor is the status that Chainlink has in its niche
   
   There aren't any direct competitors in the market.
2. An advanced team of professionals
   
   The Chainlink development team works closely with established computer science academics and experienced cybersecurity researchers.
3. Chainlink isn't tied to any particular blockchain either, even if now it runs on Ethereum only
   
   It is important for investors that Chainlink’s future doesn’t go together with Ethereum or any other blockchain.
4. The price of the LINK token is tied to the success of Chainlink
   
   Its price will go up if there is more demand for the services of the Chainlink network. All LINK tokens are pre-mined, so there won’t be any new ones coming to the market.

What are the disadvantages of Chainlink (LINK)?

1. The Chainlink project is still in early stages
   
   Many key features are still words on the WhitePaper.
2. The question of necessity
   
   There are some opinions that the LINK token is an unnecessary element of the project since there are other cryptocurrencies being adequate to provide compensation to operators, and that oracles themselves would have incentive to keep their network and access to their own data constant.

How to buy Chainlink (LINK) on SimpleSwap?

Let’s say you want to buy Chainlink. What should you do? We suggest you go to the SimpleSwap homepage and follow the instructions below:

1. For example, you want to swap BTC for LINK. Select the currency you want to exchange (e.g. BTC) in the first drop-downlist. Then enter the amount you want to swap.
2. Select LINK in the second drop-down list. You’ll see the estimated amount that you’ll get after the exchange.
3. Click the Exchange button.
4. Enter the Recipient's Address. LINK will be sent. Be careful and make sure you use the correct address.
5. Create the exchange.
6. You will see the Bitcoin deposit address. You need to transfer the necessary amount of BTC to this address to start the BTC to LINK exchange.

SimpleSwap reminds you that this article is provided for informational purposes only and does not provide investment advice. All purchases and cryptocurrency investments are your own responsibility.