SEC Hires Ex-Chainlink Exec as Grayscale Buys 5M LINK
By Neil Mathew
Editor Daniel Francis
Updated
5 mins read
The price of Chainlink might be massively undervalued right now, but key developments hint that the decentralized oracle service may finally be getting its due.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has appointed Taylor Lindman, formerly of Chainlink Labs, as the new Chief Counsel for its Crypto Task Force.
JUST IN: Taylor Lindman has been officially appointed as Chief Counsel of the @SECGov's Crypto Task Force.
— Chainlink (@chainlink) February 23, 2026
We thank Taylor for his great 5 years as a key part of the Chainlink Labs team in his role as Deputy General Counsel. We all look forward to modernizing the U.S. financial… pic.twitter.com/puvZPeVcba
The strategic hiring, confirmed by Chainlink on February 23, coincides with reports that digital asset manager Grayscale’s holdings hit over 5 million Chainlink (LINK) tokens, signaling a potential convergence of regulatory clarity and institutional conviction for the oracle network.
Lindman’s transition to the regulator follows a five-year tenure as deputy general counsel at Chainlink, where he specialized in global regulatory strategy and smart contract compliance.
He replaces Michael Selig, who vacated the role in December 2025 to serve as Chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
EXPLORE: Define Your Edge: The Ultimate Guide to Chainlink (LINK)
The appointment of an industry veteran to a senior enforcement and guidance role marks a distinct pivot in the agency’s approach to crypto regulation.
During his time at Chainlink, Lindman served as a primary liaison to the SEC, participating in critical March 2025 roundtables regarding token taxonomy and record-keeping standards.
His move from the private sector to the public sector suggests the SEC is prioritizing technical proficiency over purely litigious enforcement. Lindman joins other recent industry hires, including Landon Zinda from Coin Center and former NFT lawyer Veronica Reynolds, who previously worked for BakerHostetler.
This influx of specialized talent aligns with broader legislative efforts, such as the CLARITY Act, which aims to pivot the agency away from the regulation-by-enforcement model that characterized previous administrations.
This trend of embedding crypto-native experts into policy roles is gaining traction across Washington; similarly, Hyperliquid recently opened a US policy advocacy center, underscoring the industry’s push to shape frameworks from the inside out.
Parallel to the regulatory restructuring, institutional interest in Chainlink appears to be deepening.
Market data indicates that Grayscale has accumulated approximately 5 million LINK tokens, a move that significantly increases their exposure to the decentralized oracle sector.
Source: Arkham Intelligence
This acquisition is not an isolated event but part of a broader strategy by the asset manager to diversify its product suite beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum.
The accumulation comes as Grayscale continues to aggressively expand its altcoin offerings. The firm has been active in structuring new investment vehicles, as evidenced by reports that Canary and Grayscale are launching staking-enabled Sui ETFs.
By bolstering its LINK position, Grayscale is effectively betting on the asset’s utility within the modernizing financial infrastructure that Lindman is now tasked with regulating. T
his institutional buying pressure aligns with wider market trends. Despite recent chopped price action, hedge funds have increased their crypto positions during volatility, viewing the consolidation phase as an opportunity to acquire high-conviction assets at a discount.
Grayscale’s decisive move suggests they view Chainlink as a fundamental infrastructure play rather than a speculative trade.
The dual narrative of a friendly regulator and a major buyer provides a complex backdrop for Chainlink (LINK) price prediction.
Historically, regulatory uncertainty has been a headwind for middleware protocols like Chainlink, which facilitate data transfer between off-chain and on-chain environments.
Lindman’s presence at the SEC could accelerate the approval of standards that benefit oracle networks, effectively de-risking the asset for institutional allocators.
Source: TradingView
Investors will likely watch for upcoming guidance from the Crypto Task Force to see if Lindman’s industry background translates into actionable frameworks for digital asset classification.
If the SEC clarifies the status of utility tokens used in oracle services, the Grayscale accumulation may be viewed in hindsight as a strategic front-running of regulatory clarity.
Given Chainlink’s role in increasing blockchain cross-chain interoperability, we could call it the vital infrastructure of an on-chain world.
But over in the presales market, there’s a project that could rival its gains. Maxi Doge (MAXI) is at a much earlier stage. The project has raised $4.6 million in its ongoing presale, positioning itself as a rising contender within the meme coin category.
This doggo is a bold, gym-obsessed, self-proclaimed alpha doge who is both a distant rival and cousin to Dogecoin. Its marketing leans into the high-energy, irreverent style that defined the 2021 meme coin surge.
MAXI is as an ERC-20 token on the Ethereum proof-of-stake network, giving it a comparatively smaller environmental footprint than Dogecoin’s proof-of-work consensus model.
Early presale participants can currently stake MAXI for yields of up to 67% APY, although returns decline as the staking pool grows.
The token is $0.0002805 during the current presale phase, with programmed price increases at each funding milestone. Purchases are supported through wallets, including MetaMask and Best Wallet, over on the official Maxi Doge site.
Stay updated through Maxi Doge’s official X and Telegram pages.
Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, we encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.
Neil is a professional cryptocurrency content writer with years of experience. He has written for various cryptocurrency websites to report on breaking news, and been hired by all sorts of cryptocurrency projects, to create content that would increase their exposure and attract more potential investors.
