Chainlink rises 8% to $13.26 after partnership with Bottomline, eyes $15 target

Key partnerships and institutional adoption

This momentum follows Chainlink’s new partnership with Bottomline, a payments technology firm that works with over 600 banks and processes upwards of $16 trillion in payments annually. Through this collaboration, Chainlink plans to connect its infrastructure, including the Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP), to established banking payment systems. The goal is to enhance both cross-border and cross-chain transactions across the sector.

The announcement spurred LINK to break above the $12 threshold. After buyers pushed the price further, LINK surpassed $13 for the first time in several weeks on September 7. This breakout from the $12–$12.20 region, which had repeatedly limited gains, marked a significant shift in market sentiment.

Additional institutional engagement came as Circle recently launched cirBTC, a wrapped Bitcoin product. According to Circle, cirBTC employs Chainlink’s Proof of Reserve mechanism to provide onchain verification of the Bitcoin reserves backing the token.

In the US, the Wyoming Stable Token Commission selected Chainlink Proof of Reserve as its near real-time verification tool for the state’s Frontier Stable Token. Previously, Wyoming had chosen Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol as the exclusive cross-chain infrastructure for this stablecoin project.

Mini dictionary: Bottomline is a US-based payments technology provider serving financial institutions worldwide. Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) is a standard for enabling secure data and token transfers across different blockchains.

Chainlink has also collaborated with the US Department of Commerce to bring official economic data onchain. This integration with the Bureau of Economic Analysis allows key indicators, such as real GDP and the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, to be accessible across supported blockchain platforms.

LINK price analysis: Technical breakout and momentum

On the technical side, LINK climbed above the $12–$12.20 resistance zone after spending much of August below this range. The token touched an intraday high near $13.66, and the latest daily candle suggests that a continued move towards $14 is likely if LINK holds above its breakout level.

All four exponential moving averages currently sit below LINK’s market price. The 20-day EMA has separated sharply from the 50-day EMA, highlighting the acceleration seen since last month. LINK also moved above the 200-day EMA after spending several months trading below this key indicator.

Clearing the $12 to $12.20 zone marked a crucial breakout for LINK, with buyers maintaining momentum as price surged past $13. Consistent accumulation and increased trading volumes provide additional confirmation that this move is backed by sustained demand in the market.

On the downside, a failure to maintain current levels could bring the $12–$12.20 area back into focus. Should this support collapse, the 20-day EMA around $11.46 would be the next target for buyers to defend. Parabolic SAR readings on the daily chart remain below the current price, supporting continuation of the prevailing uptrend, while a reversal would suggest waning momentum.

Shorter-term indicators also reflect growing momentum. The TRIX oscillator climbed to 23.31 after rebounding from negative territory. Accumulation/Distribution reached about 138.1 million, up from 125 million since July. This fresh jump was matched by a notable increase in trading volume after LINK crossed $13, indicating strong buying interest rather than fading accumulation.

If LINK achieves a sustained break above $13.68, the next probable resistance stands at $14. A move beyond that level could open the path toward the $15–$15.50 range, which previously acted as a trading zone in late 2025. However, dropping below $12 would threaten the current bullish structure, placing additional focus on lower moving averages for potential support.