Chainlink remains on standby as daily candles continue to show indecision, keeping traders on edge. The next significant move for LINK largely depends on Bitcoin’s momentum, with bulls and bears waiting for a clear signal before committing. Until then, the market is in a holding pattern, building tension for the breakout or breakdown.

Traders Await Clear Direction For Chainlink

According to an update from CryptoWzrd, the daily candles for both Chainlink and LINKBTC continue to print indecisive price action, reflecting a lack of strong conviction from either side of the market. Despite recent movements, neither buyers nor sellers have been able to establish a clear directional edge, keeping the broader outlook neutral for now.

To gain a reliable directional bias and unlock higher-probability trade opportunities, healthier and more decisive daily candles are required, as price could continue to chop within its current range. Bitcoin is expected to remain the primary driver of the next significant move. In particular, LINKBTC needs to print another bullish daily candle in the coming week to maintain any constructive momentum. 

Failure to do so could shift the balance back in favor of the bears and increase downside pressure. A continuation of weakness would likely result in a break of the daily lower-high trendline, followed by a loss of the critical $12 support level. 

On the bullish side, if Bitcoin provides the necessary support, LINK could attempt a recovery rally toward the $16 resistance zone. Until a clearer higher-timeframe structure emerges, the trading focus remains tactical. Attention will be placed on the lower-timeframe charts, particularly over the weekend, to capitalize on quick, short-term opportunities while avoiding unnecessary exposure to indecisive daily conditions.

Intraday Chart Shows Tight Range, Market Lacks Clear Direction

The analyst concluded that the intraday chart remains choppy, with price action tightly compressed within a narrow range. Such conditions point to persistent market indecision, in which neither bulls nor bears have shown sufficient conviction to drive a sustained move in either direction. As a result, trade setups lack clarity and carry elevated risk.

From a tactical perspective, a retest of the $13 resistance level, followed by clear signs of rejection or fading momentum, could open the door to a short opportunity. However, if price holds above $13 with strong acceptance, that would place the market in more constructive territory and tilt the bias back in favor of the bulls.

Until one of these scenarios plays out decisively, the analyst emphasized the importance of waiting. A more mature and well-defined chart structure is needed before engaging in the next trade, ensuring better confirmation, cleaner entries, and improved risk-to-reward conditions.

Chainlink’s native token, LINK, continues to trade within a clearly defined price channel, reflecting a period of consolidation as the broader crypto market is yet to establish a clear market direction. Meanwhile, renowned analyst Ali Martinez provides some key insights on the LINK market, highlighting the potential price targets for the next breakout.

Chainlink In Compression Phase Between $12-$15 — What Next? 

In a recent X post, Martinez shares an analysis of the LINK 12-hour chart, which shows the altcoin has been range-bound between key support at $11.89 and resistance near $14.64, a structure that has remained intact over multiple trading sessions stretching back to 2025. This price behavior implies that neither bulls nor bears have been able to assert sustained control as each attempt to push higher has been capped near the upper boundary of the channel, while pullbacks have consistently found buyers around the $11.89 support zone. 

From a technical standpoint, the channel highlights a phase of consolidation following earlier volatility. Therefore, this structure may be laying the groundwork for a more decisive move once the price escapes the current boundaries. 

The $14.64 resistance level remains the key hurdle for bullish continuation. A confirmed breakout above this zone, ideally supported by rising volume, could reignite upside momentum with potential targets set at $17.00. On the downside, a loss of the $11.89 support could change the technical outlook, exposing LINK to deeper retracements, with potential around $10.00. For now, however, this support has held firm, reinforcing the validity of the channel and keeping bearish momentum in check.

LINK Market Overview

At press time, LINK trades at $12.21, reflecting a major loss of 10.95% in the last seven days amid a general market downturn. However, the monthly loss of just 1.09% indicates that downside momentum remains relatively contained, suggesting that recent selling pressure may be corrective rather than structural and that many new market entrants could soon return to profit if prices stabilize.

In other news, Chainlink has completed the acquisition of Atlas, the order flow auction protocol developed by FastLane. According to the blockchain team, this move strengthens Chainlink’s value capture stack by expanding the reach of Chainlink SVR into the new DeFi ecosystem, thereby helping improve MEV recapture.  With a market cap of $8.65 billion, Chainlink is ranked as the 13th largest digital asset in the world.