Chainlink

Chainlink Functions mainnet beta release is now available on Arbitrum. This release allows Arbitrum developers to connect and compute upon offchain data, devices, and systems in a trust-minimized manner.

Chainlink Automation is now officially available on Base, the layer-2 network incubated by Coinbase. Base builders can now utilize Chainlink's reliable and performant automation solution to drive next-generation use cases.

Pax Gold tokens, powered by Chainlink Price Feeds, are a prime example of real-world assets (RWAs) moving onchain. Chainlink oracles will accelerate the adoption of Paxos' USD and gold-backed tokens in DeFi, according to Walter Hessert, head of strategy at Paxos. Tokenized RWAs, powered by Chainlink, are expected to become the largest driver of blockchain adoption.

The #RWA trend will expand to include new asset classes such as real estate. Real estate assets could be represented onchain as dNFTs, with payments, identity, and other offchain information verified using zero-knowledge proofs.

Chainlink highlights the importance for DeFi applications to understand the trust assumptions of their chosen infrastructure. Chainlink's heterogeneous, multi-network design reduces risk by using independent decentralized oracle networks (DONs) that run natively on specific blockchains. This design provides users with reliability guarantees and uptime performance, as well as access to multiple independent services without additional trust assumptions.

A recent industry report by Bain and Company in collaboration with JPMorgan highlights the potential revenue opportunities of tokenizing alternative assets. The report suggests that tokenization of assets such as private equity, private credit, real estate, and hedge funds could increase industry revenues by $400 billion annually. This includes $270 billion for fund managers, $100 billion for wealth managers, $30 billion for wholesale platforms, and $5 billion for fund administrators and transfer agents. Tokenization can expand investor base, generate more management fees, broaden distribution, and unlock scale and value across the investment lifecycle.

Lendr Network has joined Chainlink BUILD to enhance its access to Chainlink's oracle services and technical support. This will help support the security and use of tokenized real-world assets (RWAs). As part of the agreement, Lendr Network will make 4% of its total native token supply available to Chainlink service providers, including stakers. Lendr Network is a tokenization protocol that aims to democratize finance in DeFi by providing increased access to RWAs across various asset classes. Through Chainlink BUILD, Lendr Network will gain access to Chainlink Price Feeds, CCIP, Proof of Reserve, Functions, and new Chainlink product releases.

OMO Swap, a platform aiming to provide cross-chain swaps with no liquidity constraints and zero slippage, has joined Chainlink BUILD to gain access to Chainlink's oracle services and support. As part of the partnership, OMO Swap will allocate 4.5% of its token supply to Chainlink service providers. The platform will also receive benefits such as integration of Chainlink Price Feeds and access to new Chainlink product releases.

Since the start of 2024, the industry has experienced two significant cross-chain hacks resulting in nearly $90M in losses. To bring financial institutions onchain and scale digital assets, Chainlink emphasizes a security-first approach. Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) has reached the highest level of cross-chain security and meets enterprise-grade requirements. The security architecture of CCIP was the deciding factor for MetaRisk Labs and Redacted Cartel in selecting Chainlink's solution for their cross-chain operations.

Chainlink CCIP now supports cross-chain USDC transfers through an integration with Circle Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP). The CCIP's defense-in-depth infrastructure ensures a high level of security for these transfers.