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Heads up: The CLARITY Act is not law. Statuses are rules-based estimates from public evidence, not legal or financial advice.
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Chainlink vs Polkadot: which is a security?

Likely status under the proposed CLARITY Act, side by side. Last updated Oct 19, 2026.

Verdict

On current evidence both are rated "Likely digital commodity" (LINK: High, DOT: Medium-High confidence). Neither has a stronger case than the other.

ChainlinkLINK
Likely statusLikely digital commodity
PolkadotDOT
Likely statusLikely digital commodity

Confidence

LINK:
DOT:

Main reason

LINK: named as a digital commodity in the SEC's March 2026 interpretation (with CFTC guidance).
DOT: named as a digital commodity in the SEC's March 2026 interpretation (with CFTC guidance).

US exchange access

LINK: Coinbase (US incl. NY)
DOT: Coinbase (US incl. NY)

ETFs / CFTC futures

LINK: US-listed LINK exchange-traded products trading as of Oct 19, 2026 (per tracker): Grayscale GLNK, Bitwise CLNK.
CME LINK futures began trading on Feb 9, 2026.
DOT: US-listed DOT exchange-traded products trading as of Oct 19, 2026 (per tracker): 21Shares Polkadot Staking ETF (TDOT).

Key official sources

LINK: Federal Register (SEC & CFTC): The SEC's March 2026 interpretation lists Chainlink (LINK) as an example of a 'digital commodity' (not itself a security… ↗
DOT: Federal Register (SEC & CFTC): The SEC's March 2026 interpretation lists Polkadot (DOT) as an example of a 'digital commodity' (not itself a security),… ↗

Questions

Is Chainlink or Polkadot more likely to be a security?

On current evidence both are rated "Likely digital commodity" (LINK: High, DOT: Medium-High confidence). Neither has a stronger case than the other. Not legal advice.

Is LINK a security?

Probably not, on current evidence. ClarityCheck rates Chainlink as a likely digital commodity (high confidence): Named as a digital commodity in the SEC's March 2026 interpretation (with CFTC guidance). This is not legal advice, and the CLARITY Act is not law.

Is DOT a security?

Probably not, on current evidence. ClarityCheck rates Polkadot as a likely digital commodity (medium-high confidence): Named as a digital commodity in the SEC's March 2026 interpretation (with CFTC guidance). This is not legal advice, and the CLARITY Act is not law.

Full LINK evidence → · Full DOT evidence →

Not legal, financial or investment advice. The CLARITY Act is not law. Facts are from the linked sources as checked on Oct 19, 2026; please tell us if anything is out of date.