2022 is on track to be Chainlink’s biggest year to date. In January, Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov announced that several key initiatives, including Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) and staking within the Chainlink network, will be released in 2022.
Outlined in the Chainlink 2.0 whitepaper, Chainlink’s staking model will reward the most successful node operators based on reputation and deposit to ensure the highest degree of network security. Nazarov said staking will come on the heels of multiple Chainlink oracle networks achieving complete profitability, which he deemed a “unique and special milestone.”
Alongside integrating Chainlink Proof of Reserve (PoR) to mint wrapped assets via its new DeFi engineering arm, Celsius announced its intent to be one of the first platforms to integrate CCIP as a core piece of its multi-chain CeDeFi infrastructure.
During a fireside chat hosted by Chainlink Plugged-In at The LAB Miami, Chief Architect of Celsius Network, Carl Hua, told Chainlink Labs’ Seena Foroutan that CCIP will take DeFi to the next level by facilitating asset fungibility and cross-chain smart contracts.
“We anticipate that when CCIP goes online, we’ll see a massive adoption of cross-chain liquidity,” Hua said.
CCIP came closer to fruition this January when Diem co-creator Christian Catalini and renowned Stanford cryptographer Dan Boneh joined Chainlink Labs as strategic advisors overseeing CCIP’s development.
Boneh, esteemed for his research on cryptosystems with novel properties, cryptanalysis, web security, and cryptography for blockchains, said, “I am impressed by the Chainlink Network’s ability to scale to service smart contracts in DeFi, and I look forward to working with the team to harden CCIP’s security as it prepares to launch.”
In addition to securing the vast majority of DeFi, currently more than $75 billion, Chainlink is taking major sports events into the metaverse. At the 2022 Australian Open, Chainlink VRF (Verifiable Random Function) connected fans to the court with a collection of 6,776 Art Ball NFTs, each linked to a plot of actual AO tennis court surface and the chance to win championship point tennis balls.
Last month, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant integrated Chainlink Sports Data Feeds through his digital branding platform, Personal Corner, to create dynamic NFTs that reflect NFL stars’ stats in real time.
Bryant told Chainlink Today that dynamic NFTs are a “true game-changer” for athletes looking to connect with their fans and build strong communities.
“Chainlink Sports Data Feeds are important to dynamic sports NFTs because they provide a medium to bring real-time stats on-chain,” he said.
NFL stars like Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs are launching Chainlink-powered NFT collections with Personal Corner. In addition to reflecting his career stats in real time, Diggs’ NFTs will offer opportunities to win real-world rewards like tickets to future events and signed memorabilia from his personal collection.
During a Chainlink Live segment with Bryant, Diggs said he views NFTs as a way to give back to his most supportive fans.
“You get to have a piece of me. Because I’m sharing something that means so much to me with you,” he said.
Check out the entire Chainlink ecosystem in one place.