Gate.io Founder's 12th Anniversary Open Letter - Twelve Years of Gate, Paving the Way for the Crypto Future

Dear Gate.io Users and Partners:

Twelve years ago, with a curiosity and passion for the crypto world, I took the first step in founding Gate.io. Today, I am very honored to announce that Gate.io has completed its twelfth year and undergone a brand upgrade, officially adopting the new Chinese name "大门" (Gate).

Looking back on the twelve years of growth, this journey would not have been possible without the strong support and unwavering trust of our users and partners. As the saying goes, "twelve is a cycle." With a more open posture and a stronger belief, we will move towards a new cycle and embark on the next era of the Web3 world.

Twelve years ago, we opened a door.

It was a door to financial freedom, a door for innovators, explorers, and builders in the crypto industry. In 2013, at a time when the crypto industry was still in its infancy, we held a belief in blockchain technology and an anticipation of a decentralized future, deciding to build a secure, transparent, and fair digital asset trading platform. Today, twelve years later, Gate.io has become one of the world's leading crypto ecosystems.

Looking back on this journey, we have witnessed the industry's ups and downs and experienced numerous trials. We have grown rapidly in bull markets and held onto our original intentions in bear markets. Continuously expanding our business scope, from centralized trading to decentralized ecosystems, from infrastructure development to venture capital, every step has been taken with determination and steadfastness. Gate.io is not just a trading platform but a "safe harbor" trusted by global crypto users, as well as a thriving blockchain ecosystem.

What have we done right in these twelve years?

Driven by Innovation, Pioneering Fearlessly

Twelve years ago, I quietly launched Biteer in a small studio, which was the predecessor of Gate.io.

I have always enjoyed delving into technology and have a strong hands-on ability since I was young. My father had a very open-minded approach to my education, often encouraging me to explore new knowledge. During my childhood weekends, I often spent time in bookstores. I almost dismantled all the appliances in the house when I was young, and my father not only did not stop me but also encouraged me to explore boldly. When I graduated from junior high school, I had my first computer, and that's when I started to self-study various computer knowledge and programming. It was a delightful experience to browse various computer books and magazines at the bookstall. During my university years, I had mastered several programming languages and embarked on my innovation journey, developing multiple websites and software on my own. Fortunately, these websites and software attracted a good amount of traffic and users.

When I first read the Bitcoin whitepaper, I was deeply impressed, and I immediately developed a strong interest in this brand-new blockchain world. My first Bitcoin transaction was completed through a forum, but unfortunately, I was scammed. It was this "unfortunate experience" that made me realize how crucial it is to provide a fair, transparent trading platform for users.

Driven by my passion for blockchain, I founded BitChild during my postdoctoral period. My original intention was simple - to bring a fair, secure, trustworthy blockchain world to the public. Technology was not a challenge for me, and in the early stages of the platform, I was the sole supporter, with all the work carried out by myself. From platform development to operations, marketing, and even customer service, I handled everything on my own. Looking back on that time, it seems like I had fun amidst the busyness. I almost immersed myself in the community every day, constantly absorbing innovative ideas and user needs in the industry. My immediate reaction at the time was to actively and quickly keep up with industry innovation and trends. I believe this was my initial understanding of "blockchain speed," a good habit I have maintained for 12 years. I still remember in 2013 when we were the first to launch a platform for Dogecoin, attracting massive traffic, with 90% of global trading volume and half of the circulating tokens on our platform. At that time, many platforms kept their distance from these "novel" coins, but I insisted on innovation and launching new coins. Looking back to this day, I am very grateful for the decision I made back then.

The spirit of innovation has always run through Gate.io's twelve-year development process. In various new products and trends, Gate.io has always taken the lead. From the earliest all-in-one wallet Wallet.io, live streaming, a forum, chat rooms, to later quantitative trading bots, and innovation zones, Gate.io has always been at the forefront of the industry. As early as 2014, I applied for a fingerprint hardware wallet patent and put this wallet into production. Now Gate.io has hundreds of such innovative products and technologies. I have always encouraged the team to have an innovative spirit and have never been stingy in investing in product research and innovative development.

For me, innovation is not a concept to boast about but a behavioral habit from childhood to adulthood, as simple and natural as breathing. It has not only shaped me but also made Gate.io what it is today. The spirit of innovation has always been the source of power driving Gate.io forward.

Security First, Steady Progress

This industry is never short of innovation and opportunities, but it also comes with undeniable risks. In recent times, security incidents in the industry have been frequent, whether it is centralized platform asset theft or DeFi protocol vulnerabilities, security issues have once again become the focus of the entire crypto industry. I often tell the team that we are in an industry full of opportunities and the most development potential, but we are also facing unprecedented severe tests, where opportunities and risks always go hand in hand. Safeguarding user asset security and ensuring a stable and reliable trading experience are Gate.io's enduring core mission. This is not only a responsibility but also the principles and bottom line we have upheld for many years.

In 2020, we proposed the Merkle Tree-based Proof of Reserves method and open-sourced it, advocating for all industry platforms to use this method to disclose Proof of Reserves to reassure users. It wasn't until the FTX scandal at the end of 2022 that the industry paid attention to it and rapidly adopted it universally until today.

Gate.io has always adhered to the principles of "Safety First, User-Oriented," continuously investing resources in building a multi-layered security system, covering cold wallet management, multi-signature, real-time risk alert, and a globally coordinated security team for 24/7 monitoring. We believe that the establishment of true long-term value begins with every dedicated commitment to security and stable operation.

Leap in Development, Steady Growth

Looking back over the past twelve years, Gate.io has come a long way, experiencing the blockchain's "Wild West Era" and witnessing the prosperity of the DeFi Summer. During this period, the decentralized financial ecosystem experienced explosive growth, with Gate.io ranking in the global top three, becoming a significant player leading the industry's rapid development.

As the industry continues to evolve, we have experienced the traffic dividend of the "Startup Period," the technology-driven innovation of the "Innovation Period," and now the market expansion and strategic layout of the current "Steady Period," spanning three essential stages, gradually growing into a global leading cryptocurrency exchange platform.

Throughout this development process, Gate.io has always adhered to stable operations, achieving significant milestones: the ecosystem's user base has reached tens of millions, continuously expanding our global user foundation. The number of coins listed on the platform has exceeded 3800, providing global users with diverse trading options, making it the CEX exchange platform with the most supported coins globally. By 2025, our overall strength has firmly ranked among the global top tier. We publish total reserve data on time, and the total reserve amount has now exceeded $10.328 billion, ranking among the global top four, demonstrating robust financial stability. The platform's token GT also hit a historic high of $25.96 this year, nearly a 70% increase from the beginning of the year, jumping into the global top 40 by market capitalization, further solidifying our market position. Gate.io's popular Launchpool and HODLer Airdrop continue to bring ongoing benefits to customers, with the cumulative total value of Launchpool airdrops surpassing $20.36 million and over 140 projects launched on the platform.

Comprehensive Upgrade of Gate Ecosystem, Creating a Diverse One-Stop Cryptocurrency Experience

Over the past year, the Gate ecosystem has continued to expand and upgrade, comprehensively covering various Web3 sectors, accelerating the construction of a diverse platform. Gate Web3 now supports nearly 200 mainstream blockchains; in terms of the TON ecosystem, we were the first to work with over a hundred projects to launch the Gate Mini App and Gate Wallet Mini App, with over a million monthly active users, consistently leading the pack in the same category; we introduced the innovative MemeBox 2.0, enabling seamless integration of popular on-chain Meme tokens into trading platform accounts, combining the efficiency and convenience of CEX with the asset diversity of DEX, providing a convenient, secure Web3 trading experience. Simultaneously, we continue to optimize the global payment network, constantly expanding fiat deposit and withdrawal channels. Gate Card now supports various fiat currencies, with the user base surging by 327%, and deposit amounts increasing nearly 22 times. Gate.io is building a more open, efficient, and convenient crypto world, allowing every user to easily embark on their on-chain journey.

Meanwhile, Gate Ventures continues to increase its strategic investments globally, focusing on high-quality Web3 projects and other cutting-edge tracks, and has laid out multiple high-potential projects. Currently, Gate Ventures manages assets of over $3 billion, supporting over 100 projects, providing not only capital support to startups but also empowering projects and industry development through eco-empowerment and resource synergy, driving the co-construction of a thriving Web3 innovation ecosystem.

Advancing Global Expansion, Implementing Forward-looking Strategies

Gate.io has always upheld a global perspective, driving long-term layouts with strategic height and a global mindset. We are not only a sponsor of Inter Milan but also became an official sponsor of the F1 Red Bull Racing Team in February this year, these cross-border collaborations are bold and interesting. By strategically cooperating with top global brands, we continuously enhance our international influence. Gate Group's compliance layout and investment are at the forefront globally, achieving positive progress in key regions such as the Americas, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. Additionally, this year, we also completed the acquisition of the Japan-licensed exchange platform Coin Master through our subsidiary.

Over the years, we have driven the construction of compliant sites to ensure that the platform meets regulatory requirements worldwide, providing users with a safe and reliable trading environment. Only through compliance can each of our steps be more solid and long-lasting. In recent years, Gate.io has continuously attracted outstanding talents from all over the world to drive technological innovation, product optimization, and market expansion, keeping the company in a leading position in the competitive crypto industry. These forward-looking strategic decisions have laid a solid foundation for Gate.io's global expansion and provided strong support for future continuous innovation and industry leadership.

Twelve years, a milestone, and a new starting point.

Gate.io looks forward to opening the "gate" to a new era for global users, embracing a more open, more intelligent crypto future. We are comprehensively upgrading the brand, redefining Gate.io's future direction—not just trading, but a "super gateway" linking the real world and the blockchain world.

In the future, Gate.io will:

· Deepen the layout of Web3.0, accelerate the application of decentralized technology, improve the underlying infrastructure, and build a more open, free digital ecosystem;

· Expand the global market, strengthen compliance layout. Continuously enhance communication and cooperation with regulatory agencies worldwide, empower industry compliance processes, and provide users with a safe, trustworthy trading environment;

· Adhere to a balanced focus on technology-driven innovation and ecosystem development, continuously innovating around core scenarios such as transactions, payments, and asset management, integrating cryptocurrency into every detail of real life;

· Create a globally competitive team culture, attract and nurture more visionary and action-oriented talents, empower long-term development with efficient collaborative organizational capability;

· Strengthen industry collaboration and co-construction, collaborate with high-quality projects, developer communities, regulatory agencies, and technical alliances to promote ecosystem interoperability and industry standardization, facilitate global understanding and popularization of blockchain technology;

· Promote cross-border collaboration and global dialogue, continuously enhance brand global influence. Collaborate with top global brands, actively participate in international platform activities, and bring blockchain technology into a broader mainstream perspective.

Twelve years of unity in the face of challenges. Here, I would like to once again express my sincere gratitude to all Gate.io users, partners, and team members for their companionship and support along the way. Twelve years ago, we knocked on the door to the crypto world; twelve years later, we stand at the door, seeing a broader future. In the next twelve years, we are not just opening the door but stepping into a true new era of crypto together. The door is open, the future has arrived. Gate.io looks forward to building together, co-writing this great journey with all of you!

Gate.io Founder and CEO

Dr. Han

Disclaimer: This content does not constitute any offer, solicitation, or advice. You should always seek independent professional advice before making any investment decision. Please note that Gate.io may restrict or prohibit all or part of its services from certain restricted areas.

This article is contributed content and does not represent the views of BlockBeats.