E111: Could Chainlink be the next Amazon AWS? $LINK

This week, we're back with Daniel Shapiro from Blockworks Research for our annual deep dive into Chainlink $LINK. The partnerships are massive, the tech is cutting-edge, yet the price is flat. We investigate: Is this the "AWS of Finance" moment, or a value trap?

🏦 DeFi vs. The World: Forget the crypto casino. We uncover why the world's largest institutions are racing to move trillions of dollars on-chain, from instant settlements to banking the unbanked.

⚡ The Great Bridge: Chainlink isn't replacing Swift, it’s supercharging it. Discover why partnerships with MasterCard, BlackRock, and the DTCC are the ultimate signal that the "Internet of Contracts" is finally here.

🤖 The Oracle for AI: As autonomous agents rise, they need truth. We explore a futuristic thesis: Could Chainlink become the verification layer for the entire AI economy?

💰 The Investor’s Dilemma: Why do the smartest analysts love LINK while the market ignores it? We tackle the psychology of holding infrastructure plays and whether you should buy the dream or wait for the revenue.

📊 The 2026 Inflection Point: With new regulations (Genius Act, Clarity Act) and the Trump administration support, we map out Sergey Nazarov’s timeline. Is the "show me the money" era finally approaching?

🎯 Trillion Dollar Opportunity: We debate the ultimate bull case: is comparing Chainlink to a 1999 investment in Microsoft and Nvidia valid, or is Krzysztof overdosing on hopium?

You can find more from Daniel Shapiro at: x.com/_dshap

Segments:

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

04:08 What is DeFi Really Worth?

10:46 Chainlink's Year of Announcements

20:32 Swift Partnership and CRE Launch

32:19 Market Corruption and Blockchain Transparency

37:29 The Management Question: Trust Without Disclosure

45:26 Comparing Chainlink to Tech Giants

52:15 AI, Consensus Computing, and New Use Cases

01:03:57 Competition and the Layer One Debate

01:13:30 The Investor's Playbook: When to Buy

01:20:15 Final Thoughts and Annual Check-In Tradition

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Keywords

Chainlink, LINK token, Real World Assets, RWA Crypto, Tokenization, DeFi 2025, Blockworks Research, Daniel Shapiro, Sergey Nazarov, Swift Blockchain, DTCC Crypto, Crypto Infrastructure, Altcoin Gem, Crypto Investing Strategy, Chainlink Price Prediction, Web3 Oracle, BlackRock Crypto, Institutional Adoption