In 2021, the Chainlink ecosystem added over 720 new integrations, surpassing 1,000 total integrations and adding 100 integrations during the month of December alone.
In order to visualize such extraordinary growth, Chainlink community member TheLinkMarine, who recently received a Chainlink Community Grant to revamp the independent resource chainlinkecosystem.com, created an infographic that crystallizes the multifaceted expansion of the Chainlink ecosystem during 2021.
For TheLinkMarine, who recalled the genesis of the Chainlink Network back in 2017 when its ecosystem “consisted of a few projects that you could count on your hands,” seeing Chainlink surpass the 1,000-integration milestone was nothing short of “incredible.”
Beyond over 380 new DeFi projects integrating Chainlink oracles, there was an explosion of NFT projects – over 200 – launching with Chainlink oracle networks, chiefly Chainlink VRF (Verifiable Random Function).
Since the Summer 2021 mainnet launch of Chainlink Keepers, a decentralized service that allows developers to reliably automate regular smart contract triggers, 38 projects have integrated Keepers to save time and resources while creating a more intuitive, user-friendly DeFi experience.
The Chainlink ecosystem also added more than 30 new data providers, including Deutsche Telekom, Swisscom, the Associated Press, and AccuWeather. Trusted news and weather data on-chain paves the way for exciting new use cases, verticals, and entire industries for smart contracts.
At well over 1,100 integrations one month into the new year, The Chainlink ecosystem shows no signs of slowing down. More sophisticated use cases for Chainlink’s decentralized services have already begun to emerge. For example, Chainlink-powered dynamic NFTs are creating metaverse experiences for international events like the 2022 Australian Open.
Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP), which Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov likened to TCP/IP for the internet, aims to lay the groundwork for a new tier of cross-chain smart contracts that allow developers to create web3 applications with the ease and flexibility of web2.
With the release of CCIP and staking in 2022, the Chainlink Ecosystem is poised to enter a new phase of evolution. If 2021 was the metaverse’s Big Bang, 2022 will likely see new constellations of oracle networks take shape in ways we might not even be able to predict today.
Check out the entire Chainlink ecosystem here.