Share this article
Chainlink Launches Platform to Help Web2 Connect With Smart Contracts
The beta version of Chainlink Functions is now live on the Ethereum Sepolia and Polygon Mumbai test networks.
Updated Mar 1, 2023, 6:24 p.m. Published Mar 1, 2023, 5:47 p.m.
Make us preferred on Google
Blockchain data provider Chainlink has released a platform that will enable developers to connect data to smart contracts, the company said on Wednesday.
Chainlink Functions will allow any smart contract – blockchain protocols that execute the terms of a contract – to connect to any Web2 application programming interface (API).
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
"Until now, Web3 developers couldn’t connect their smart contracts to existing Web2 APIs to access social-media signals, AI (artificial-intelligence) computation, messaging services and more," the company said in a blog post.
The beta version of Chainlink Functions is live on the Ethereum Sepolia and Polygon Mumbai test networks, the company added. The Chainlink token (LINK) was little changed on Wednesday at $7.41.
“Chainlink technology is an ideal way to provide smart contract developers anywhere in the world with direct, on-demand access to AP’s (Associated Press) trusted economic, sports and election race call data," Michael Fabiano, head of Americas Media at the AP, told CoinDesk in a statement. "With the launch of Chainlink Functions, it will be easier than ever for AP-licensed developers to integrate AP data with innovative smart contracts and deploy new use cases across leading blockchain networks.”
Chainlink has aimed to provide products to connect the world with blockchain technology. In September, the company announced a partnership with SWIFT, an interbank messaging system, to help SWIFT make token transfers and communicate across all blockchains.
Read more: SWIFT Is Partnering With Chainlink: Here’s the Down-low on the Blockchain Data Provider
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
Solana’s new phase is ‘much more about finance,’ says Backpack CEO Armani Ferrante
The Solana ecosystem has spent the past year doubling down on a financial infrastructure, Backpack CEO Armani Ferrante told CoinDesk.
What to know:
- Solana’s latest phase looks a lot less flashy than its memecoin-fueled highs, and that may be the goal.
- Armani Ferrante, CEO of crypto exchange Backpack, told CoinDesk in an interview the Solana ecosystem has spent the past year doubling down on a more sober focus: financial infrastructure. A
- fter years of experimentation as the wider crypto industry focused on NFTs, games and social tokens, attention is now shifting back toward decentralized finance, trading and payments.
Top Stories
