Grayscale launches Chainlink Trust ETF GLNK, bringing LINK investment into the traditional market

January 19 News, asset management firm Grayscale officially launched a new crypto investment product, Chainlink Trust ETF, with trading code GLNK. The product is now open for trading, and investors can participate through regular brokerage accounts without directly holding or custodying cryptocurrencies. This move is seen as a significant step in further integrating crypto infrastructure assets into the traditional financial system.

To attract early capital inflows, Grayscale has set a clear fee incentive mechanism for GLNK: during the first three months after launch or until the fund reaches a management scale of $1 billion, the management fee is 0%. After the promotional period, the annual management fee will be adjusted to 0.35%. This fee strategy is relatively competitive among current crypto ETF products and also increases the willingness of institutional and individual investors to participate.

From a product structure perspective, GLNK aims to track the price performance of Chainlink (LINK). Chainlink is widely regarded as one of the most critical infrastructure tokens in the blockchain ecosystem, with its core function being to bring real-world data securely into blockchain systems via decentralized oracle networks. This capability has been extensively applied in DeFi protocols, real-world asset tokenization, cross-chain communication, and automated financial contracts.

GLNK allows investors to gain exposure to LINK prices within traditional stock accounts, without involving crypto wallets, private key management, or on-chain operations. This design significantly lowers the entry barrier, enabling investors unfamiliar with crypto technology to indirectly participate in the development of Web3 and blockchain finance.

It is important to note that Grayscale explicitly states in its disclosure documents that GLNK is not registered under the 1940 Investment Company Act and therefore does not have all the investor protection mechanisms of traditional ETFs. The product is highly volatile and carries significant price risks, making it more suitable for investors with risk awareness.

On the application level, Chainlink currently covers several key areas including DeFi lending, proof of reserves, compliance automation, and cross-chain messaging. As financial assets accelerate onto the chain, the market generally expects Chainlink’s position in data infrastructure to be further strengthened.

For investors, GLNK offers a new pathway to deploy LINK within a compliant financial framework, reflecting the accelerating integration of crypto assets with traditional capital markets. Engaging with core blockchain technology within familiar securities investment environments is becoming an increasingly practical choice for many institutions and long-term investors.