So we can expect a partial launch this year. The full deployment of Ethereum 2.0 will take place in three phases: 0, 1, and 2.
~ November 2020: transition to PoS without smart contracts; ~ 2021: launch of sharing, also without smart contracts; ~ 2022: New virtual machine (EVM) for running smart contracts and processing parallel transactions (sharding).
LINK is as far ahead in the oracular segment as ETH in the smart contract space and BTC as digital gold.
To understand the importance of oracles, imagine this diagram:
• Blockchain - a computer not connected to the Internet; • Ethereum - the operating system in the computer; • Chainlink - LAN cable that connects your computer to the Internet.