Chainlink vs. Filecoin: Which AI token has the stronger setup for Q1 2026?

Filecoin [FIL] was the leading AI and big data token in terms of development activity, Santiment revealed in a post on X. Chainlink [LINK] was second on the list, followed by Internet Computer [ICP].

As the crypto intelligence platform explained, projects with higher developmental activity have a greater chance of increased user adoption and a subsequent growth in demand for the token.

AMBCrypto has reported on the increased demand for the LINK token from large wallets. This accumulation behavior was also accompanied by the Chainlink reserve wallet adding just over 94k LINK tokens to its holdings.

Filecoin also has bullish potential. It has rallied 19.5% over the past week. An analyst on X highlighted how FIL tends to see strong rallies in the first quarter of the year. If this pattern repeats, how high could FIL rally, and will it outperform Chainlink?

Assessing the long-term trends of Filecoin and Chainlink

The internal structure of FIL was technically bullish. One could argue the bearish side, since the 10/10 crash set the swing low at $0.32 under extremely stressful conditions, and the $1.37 is the low to consider. In this view, FIL has a bearish structure.

In either case, the higher timeframe trend has been bearish throughout 2025. The $3 psychological resistance was tested multiple times but has not been convincingly breached yet.

If FIL can fulfil the past three years’ pattern of an explosive rally in Q1 of 2026, the $3 level being flipped to support would be a good trigger for swing traders.

The volume indicators, combined with the long-term bearishness, showed why FIL buyers must remain cautious despite the past two weeks’ gains.

The weekly swing structure of LINK was bullish due to the massive rally the altcoin saw from June to August 2025. The internal structure was bearish on this timeframe, and the volume indicators once again reflected bearish dominance.

From a purely technical perspective, buying Chainlink was more favorable than buying Filecoin, due to LINK’s bullish swing structure.

Investors looking for AI tokens to buy should be wary that the altcoin market still looks shaky.

They can buy tokens in anticipation of a Q1 recovery, but should have clear invalidation levels and should not take as much risk as they would during more bullish market conditions.

Final Thoughts

• The Chainlink vs. Filecoin debate for investors did not have a clear winner, as FIL has bullish potential in the coming months.
• The long-term trends were not particularly friendly to bulls, and the volume indicators reflected that selling pressure remained dominant for both altcoins.