Chainlink has made a significant move in the blockchain industry with the launch of its 24/5 U.S. Equities Streams on January 20, 2026. This service allows users to access real-time U.S. stock and ETF data across more than 40 blockchains, including Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, and Optimism.
The launch provides continuous data access during various market sessions, including pre-market and overnight sessions. The innovation opens up new opportunities for decentralized finance (DeFi) applications, in particular for those dealing with synthetic stocks, stock perpetuals, prediction markets, and tokenized real-world assets (RWAs).
JUST SHIPPED: Chainlink 24/5 U.S. Equities Streams brings the ~$80T U.S. equities market onchain. Fast, secure stock & ETF data is now live across 40+ chains—24 hours a day, 5 days a week.
— Chainlink (@chainlink) January 19, 2026
Development of Chainlink's New Offering
Chainlink Labs, based in San Francisco, spearheaded this development. Sergey Nazarov, a co-founder of Chainlink, has been instrumental in its evolution since 2017. The progression has seen Chainlink expand its services from simple crypto price feeds to include commodities, forex, and equities.
Having secured billions in on-chain value, Chainlink's latest offering marks another milestone in the network's history. The service is trusted by projects like Lighter, BitMEX, and ApeX Pro, ensuring secure and swift access to stock and ETF data.
Impact on Affected Assets and Blockchains
Chainlink's new data streams benefit a range of applications built on supported blockchains. Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, and Optimism are among the primary chains benefiting from this service. These chains host protocols that utilize Chainlink's oracle services, particularly useful for DeFi projects and synthetic assets.
The introduction primarily impacts oracle-dependent assets based on the supported blockchains. This includes Layer 1 and Layer 2 assets like ETH, ARB, OP, and MATIC. The broader DeFi ecosystem, including governance tokens and prediction markets, is also influenced by the expansion.
Significance for the DeFi Ecosystem
The DeFi landscape can significantly benefit from reliable and timely data access enabled by Chainlink's new service. This extension helps facilitate the creation and management of decentralized financial products by providing accurate data on U.S. equities and ETFs.
Users can develop and enhance various mechanisms such as synthetic assets, perpetual contracts, and other financial derivatives. The ability to access real-time data across different trading sessions further enriches the DeFi ecosystem, opening new avenues for innovation on the blockchain.
Future Directions for Chainlink and Market Response
No substantial changes in on-chain data such as Total Value Locked (TVL) or liquidity shifts have been observed following the launch. However, Chainlink's trajectory suggests potential expansions into European and Asian equities, fixed income, and more.
There has been no direct reaction from key opinion leaders or regulatory updates from entities like the SEC or CFTC. Community sentiment and developer feedback have not surfaced significantly in public forums.
"JUST SHIPPED: Chainlink 24/5 U.S. Equities Streams brings the ~$80T U.S. equities market onchain. Fast, secure stock & ETF data is now live across 40+ chains—24 hours a day, 5 days a week."
Chainlink
This development sits as part of a larger effort by Chainlink to leverage blockchain technology for real-world application, continuing its trend of enabling substantial on-chain value growth.