Bitwise Gets SEC Nod for Spot Chainlink ETF on NYSE Arca

• CLNK ETF launches with 0.34% annual fee; first $500M assets get waived sponsor fee for 3 months.

• Staking not included at launch but planned as a secondary objective to boost investor returns.

• Chainlink price spiked 9.8%, but bearish signals suggest watch levels at $13.2–$12.8 for corrections.

Bitwise Asset Management has received SEC approval to list a spot Chainlink exchange-traded fund (ETF) on NYSE Arca, marking a major milestone for US crypto ETFs. The new product, expected to launch under the ticker CLNK this week, allows investors to gain direct exposure to Chainlink without holding the token themselves.

The approval follows Bitwise’s recent Form 8-A and S-1 amendment filings, which updated disclosures about the fund’s structure and operations under the Securities Act of 1933.

The ETF will charge a unitary management fee of 0.34% per year, calculated from the value of its Chainlink holdings. However, Bitwise will waive the entire sponsor fee on the first $500 million of trust assets for the first three months after listing.

Shares of the ETF will be created and redeemed in blocks of 10,000, known as baskets, with each basket corresponding to a specific quantity of LINK. Coinbase has been appointed as the custodian to safeguard the assets in segregated accounts.

Staking Plans and Investment Strategy

Bitwise has not included staking in the ETF at launch. However, the firm plans to amend the registration later to allow staking as a secondary investment objective.

According to the S-1 amendment, “The amended registration statement will include a detailed description of the Trust’s staking program under a section entitled ‘STAKING.’ In connection with this secondary investment objective of seeking to derive additional Chainlink through staking, the Trust will stake some or all of the Chainlink held in the Trust Chainlink Accounts.” This move signals Bitwise’s intention to optimize yield for investors while expanding product utility.

Bitwise’s Expanding Crypto ETF Portfolio

The SEC approval adds to Bitwise’s activity 2025, which included multiple ETF filings. Last year, the San Francisco-based firm launched spot Solana, XRP, and Dogecoin ETFs.

It is also pursuing strategy ETFs with direct and indirect exposure to Aave, NEAR, Uniswap, Tron, Zcash, and more. Each fund could invest up to 60% of its assets in a token, with the rest allocated to exchange-traded products that mirror the same asset.

Market Reaction and Technical Outlook

Chainlink’s price jumped almost 10% to $14.18 after the ETF news but later dipped slightly by 1.5%. Trading activity surged, with daily volumes up nearly 45% and futures contracts reaching $665 million, showing more traders are jumping in.

However, some analysts warn that the price could drop to $13.20 or even $12.80, key levels to watch for possible pullbacks or failed attempts to move higher.