Gate Reinvents the Exchange Model: From Trading Platform to ‘Full Web3 Operating System’

Crypto exchange Gate is blending the performance of centralized exchanges with “cutting-edge” decentralized infrastructure as part of a push to provide a full ecosystem for more than 42 million users worldwide.

“Our shift from a traditional exchange to a full Web3 operating system isn’t just an idea anymore,” the platform’s CEO Dr. Han told Decrypt. “It’s happening right now.”

He added that the third quarter of 2025 marked a “defining moment” for Gate. “We accelerated our ‘All in Web3’ strategy, our futures and spot businesses both reached record highs, with total users surpassing 42 million and derivatives trading volume surging 98.9% in August alone.”

The crypto platform has unveiled a suite of new products that are designed to form a “cohesive, secure, and high-performance Web3 stack.”

It’s also moving beyond asset trading to address pain points for investors, such as the single point of failure in self-custody. Its MPC-based multi-chain wallet Gate Vault enables users to split private keys into “shards” that can be stored in multiple environments—including their device, Gate’s servers, and with third-party providers. From here, a two-of-three signature mechanism has been introduced to make transactions more secure, one of which always has to come from the customer themselves.

Against a backdrop of hacks and social engineering attacks, the platform has also introduced a 48-hour buffer so that unauthorized or suspicious transfers can be frozen or canceled. Gate adds that safeguards are in place to ensure key shards are retrievable even if its infrastructure is temporarily unavailable.

Elsewhere, a new DEX has been built for perpetual futures trading that “utilizes a high-performance matching engine to support high-concurrency processing and low-latency trading, even during extreme market volatility.” Gate says this is complemented with deep order books, on-chain transparency through audited smart contracts and multi-chain access.

“The official launch of Gate Layer and Gate Perp DEX represents the backbone of our next-generation Web3 infrastructure,” Dr. Han said. “With Gate Layer processing over 5,700 transactions per second and Perp DEX already surpassing $1 billion in trading volume, we’re setting new standards for speed, transparency, and user experience in on-chain derivatives.”

The transition to a broader ecosystem is further complemented by the arrival of xStocks—tokenized assets that deliver exposure to the performance of flagship equities including Apple and Tesla, along with S&P 500 futures. As well as providing diversification, Gate says this approach eliminates the rigid business hours seen on Wall Street—with 24/7 access providing “continuous trading opportunities” that meet regulatory standards in applicable jurisdictions.

Gate is also expanding into yield-based financial products. “Our new RWA-backed stablecoin GUSD has already exceeded $230 million in issuance within weeks of launch,” Dr. Han said. “It bridges traditional finance and blockchain, showing how real-world yield can be transparent, secure, and accessible to all users.”

Fun in the sun

With meme coins surging in popularity over the past year, the platform has launched its own on-chain token launchpad, Gate Fun, to take on the likes of Pump.fun. Gate Fun enables users to launch their own meme coins in seconds with “minimal” fees, with each token accompanied by a real-time community space and engagement-based rewards—while future plans include decentralized voting.

A new loyalty program called Future Points intends to encourage “continuous participation and retention by providing tangible value to the most active users,” according to a Gate spokesperson. This loyalty currency can be offset against trading fees, helping to make high volumes of transactions more cost effective.

The new experience is rounded off by real-world utility, with users now able to use their digital assets to purchase flights, hotels and vacation packages worldwide. Gate Travel will “move crypto beyond speculation and into mass adoption,” a spokesperson for the company said. Instant conversions to fiat simultaneously deliver “competitive” rates while eliminating the need for off-ramps—with “exclusive” discounts available for those who use the ecosystem’s native token.

Gate’s pace of growth to date has “validated our long-term strategy,” Dr. Han said, noting that Gate Layer has surpassed 100 million wallet addresses and Gate Perp DEX has processed more than $1 billion in trading volume. “With a reserve ratio of 123.98% backing $12 billion in assets and the MiCA license obtained by Gate Europe, we’re building a secure and compliant foundation for global expansion,” he added. “Looking ahead, we aim to build a crypto-financial ecosystem that’s efficient, transparent, and inclusive for our 42 million users worldwide.”