ChainLink is a blockchain platform that is building a protocol to facilitate better usage of smart contracts for real world applications. Launched in 2017 by Sergey Nazarov, the platform’s use cases can roughly be described as focusing on digital agreements.

There are two core components to ChainLink’s architecture: on-chain infrastructure, i.e. smart contracts; and off-chain infrastructure, i.e. real world data meant to be used with the smart contracts. The whole platforms comes together with ChainLink’s decentralized oracle network, which uses multiple nodes to deliver data to smart contracts and avoid single points of failure. 

ChainLink node operators can offer an API for purchase by smart contracts, and larger companies can sell their data to smart contracts. 

ChainLink is already working with several established companies, including Google and the Web3 Foundation. Founder of popular digital signing platform DocuSign, Tom Gonser, is also an advisor to the project.

The project does not have a roadmap. However, its Github repo and Pivotal tracker offers a good glimpse into development progress. Both contain detailed information on what the development team has in mind for the upcoming months. Current development tasks include multi-account wallets, service agreements and general network upgrades.