Sergey Nazarov outlined Chainlink’s 2026 roadmap, emphasizing its role in building a globally connected financial system. Speaking in January, he detailed tokenization of assets, stablecoin legislation, and institutional adoption. Nazarov noted that Chainlink now powers approximately 70% of all decentralized finance and over 80% on leading chains like Ethereum.
Growth, Tokenization, and Regulatory Foundations
According to Nazarov, Chainlink supports the tokenization of equities, funds, commodities, and other assets. Stablecoin legislation and upcoming market structure rules provide a legal foundation for traditional finance to adopt onchain finance.
He explained that the industry has shifted from speculative cryptocurrencies toward a framework capable of reshaping the global financial system. In 2025, this transition accelerated, with tokenization and digital asset regulation gaining traction.
Nazarov highlighted that the Chainlink ecosystem enables secure, reliable data provision, identity management, compliance, and connectivity. The network processes over $27 trillion in transaction value, demonstrating scalability and robustness.
He also emphasized that decentralized finance growth into the trillions will depend on Chainlink’s infrastructure, which facilitates adoption by both DeFi and traditional finance participants.
Institutional Adoption and Cross-Chain Expansion
Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) continues to gain adoption by major players like Coinbase and Galaxy. Nazarov explained that institutional smart contracts, derivatives, and tokenized assets will expand blockchain usage across Ethereum, Solana, and other chains.
He also noted that the Chainlink Runtime Environment (CRE) will simplify multi-chain deployments, combining multiple data sources and backend systems into unified workflows. This approach, Nazarov said, enables institutions to meet compliance, identity, and connectivity requirements efficiently.
Furthermore, traditional finance is increasingly recognizing the benefits of smart contracts, onchain tokenization, and Oracle-based infrastructure. The integration of these capabilities positions Chainlink as a standard for both DeFi and TradFi.
Building the Next Stage of Finance
Nazarov concluded that 2026 will focus on connecting decentralized finance with traditional finance through secure, programmable systems. The Chainlink community will support tokenization and orchestrate capital flows across thousands of chains.
He stressed that this infrastructure not only grows digital assets but also reduces systemic risk, enhances transparency, and facilitates 24/7 global markets. Chainlink, he said, is prepared to drive the next phase of the industry, integrating DeFi and TradFi into a unified, globally connected financial system.