Gate 2025: From Global Top-3 Exchange to All-In Web3 Vision

Gate’s 2025 Strategy Overview

Gate's 2025 "All in Web3" strategy involved expanding from a traditional exchange into a vertically integrated crypto ecosystem by obtaining major global regulatory licenses, launching its own Layer 2 blockchain, and offering a suite of decentralized trading and token creation tools: 

Product Innovation & Expansion: Gate expanded its product suite with new and innovative key offerings, including a Futures Points rewards system, the MPC-secured Gate Vault wallet, tokenized stock trading (xStocks), and Gate Travel — a crypto-integrated travel booking platform.

Regulatory Expansion: Gate made significant progress in expanding its regulated global footprint in 2025. Gate Technology FZE obtained a full virtual asset service provider license from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), enabling regulated spot exchange services for retail, qualified and institutional investors in Dubai. Gate Technology Limited also secured authorisation under the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) in Malta, reinforcing Gate’s commitment to regulatory alignment and investor protection in Europe. In addition, Gate successfully launched its regulated trading platform through Gate Information Pty Ltd in Australia. Collectively, these developments underscore Gate’s focus on compliance, resilience and sustainable global growth.

Infrastructure & Decentralization: The exchange launched its own Layer 2 network, Gate Layer, built on the OP Stack , which rapidly accrued over 100 million wallet addresses , and complemented this with a decentralized perpetuals platform, Gate Perp DEX.

Adoption & Reach: By late 2025, Gate reported a user base of over 46 million and high activity across its platforms, including a significant NFT campaign with the Oracle Red Bull Racing partnership that resulted in over 32 million NFT mints.

$160B+ Monthly Volume Drives Gate Into Global Top 2 in Spot 

Gate's user base grew from approximately 27 million in May 2025 to over 46 million by November 2025, offering more than 3,500 spot trading pairs and 600 futures pairs. The exchange's monthly spot trading volume reached approximately $160 billion in October 2025, while derivatives market share stood at 10-11% in Q3 2025, following month-over-month growth in August.

In CoinDesk's November 2025 Exchange Benchmark, Gate received a "Top-Tier" designation with an AA rating for derivatives and an A rating for spot trading, posting Gate a record $163 billion in monthly spot trading volume, up 39.1% from October and marking a new all-time high for the exchange. Gate’s global spot market share climbed to 6.04%, an increase of 3.43 percentage points year-to-date and the strongest expansion recorded among major centralized exchanges.

CoinDesk’s report also highlights a buoyant derivatives landscape, with global futures activity hitting $7.56 trillion, the highest level this year. Gate held 10.5% of derivatives market share and accounted for 9.92% of open interest, underscoring its growing weight in the futures segment and reinforcing its position among the market’s leading venues.

The exchange reported over $12 billion in reserves with a reserve ratio exceeding 120% in Q3 2025, according to its transparency reports. Gate was also among the first exchanges to implement 100% Proof of Reserves verification using zero-knowledge technology.

In 2025, Gate entities obtained full regulatory licenses or authorizations in Europe (MiCA) and Dubai (VARA), while simultaneously launching Gate Layer (a Layer 2 blockchain), Gate Perp DEX (a decentralized perpetuals platform), alongside other key initiatives. 

Gate Regulatory Expansion in Major Jurisdictions

Gate made meaningful progress in expanding its regulated footprint across different jurisdictions in 2025, each with distinct regulatory frameworks and requirements. These regulatory approvals help anchor Gate’s “All in Web3” strategy in Europe, Australia, and the UAE.

MiCA License from Malta Financial Services Authority

On September 29 , 2025, Gate Technology Ltd was authorised as a Crypto-Asset Service Provider under  the Markets in Crypto-Assets Act (MiCA) by the Malta Financial Services Authority. This authorization permits the entity to offer exchange of crypto-assets for funds and crypto-assets for other crypto-assets, execution of orders for crypto-assets on behalf of clients, operation of a trading platform for crypto-assets, providing custody and administration of crypto-assets on behalf of clients, as well as providing transfer services for crypto-assets on behalf of clients.  After securing the license in Malta, Gate Technology Ltd has started the process to passport it across the entire Europe. 

MiCA represents the EU's comprehensive regulatory approach to crypto assets, establishing unified rules across member states. The license allows passporting rights across approximately 450 million EU residents, of which only a very handful of exchanges have obtained the same license. 

AUSTRAC Registration in Australia

Gate Information Pty Ltd (Gate Australia) registered with the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) as a Digital Currency Exchange Provider and became live in November 2025. 

Gate Australian’s platform operates with security measures including SSL encryption, cold storage for offline assets, and two-factor authentication requirements, and is tailored for local investors. 

VASP License from VARA in Dubai

In April 2025, Gate Technology FZE was granted a full Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) licence by the VARA. This authorisation enables Gate Technology FZE to offer virtual asset spot trading services in a fully regulated manner to retail investors, qualified investors and institutional investors in Dubai, marking an important step in Gate’s Middle East strategy. Gate Technology FZE's trading platform was officially launched in November 2025, bringing Gate’s regulated virtual asset trading services to users in Dubai under the VARA licensing regime.

Gate Going All in Web3 with Full Ecosystem Offering

Gate Layer: Layer 2 Network With 100M Wallet Addresses

Gate Layer marked Gate’s entry into on-chain infrastructure with a focus on performance and compatibility rather than experimentation. Built with full EVM support and settled on GateChain, the network enables developers to deploy Ethereum-native applications while leveraging GT staking as part of its security model. With reported throughput of around 5,700 transactions per second, one-second block times, and low gas fees, Gate Layer is positioned to translate centralized exchange efficiency into on-chain use cases.

Early adoption was rapid. According to CryptoRank’s October 2025 data, Gate Layer recorded more than 100 million wallet addresses within two weeks of launch, while cumulative transactions reached 15.9 million. The pace of activity suggested immediate network utilization rather than passive wallet creation, signaling early traction across both infrastructure and user-facing applications.

The launch also coincided with broader ecosystem momentum. Gate’s spot trading volume rose 31% month over month, lifting its global spot market share to 6.57%, while futures volume reached $828 billion in October 2025. Gate’s November transparency report showed on-chain activity continuing to scale across derivatives, infrastructure, and retail products, indicating that Gate Layer’s rollout may be reinforcing engagement across the wider Gate platform rather than operating as a standalone chain.

Gate Perp DEX Surpassing $1B Volume

In September 2025, Gate launched Gate Perp DEX, a decentralized perpetuals exchange built on Gate Layer. The platform is designed to offer perpetual futures trading with self-custodial settlement, meaning users maintain control of their private keys rather than depositing funds with the exchange.

According to reports from Gate, Gate Perp DEX processed over $1 billion in trading volume following its launch. This represents relatively high early adoption for a new decentralized derivatives platform.

The parallel operation of centralized and decentralized derivatives platforms illustrates an emerging trend where exchanges offer both custodial and non-custodial trading options. This approach allows users to choose between the speed and liquidity of centralized trading, or the self-custody features of decentralized protocols.

Gate Fun: Token Creation Platform

Gate Fun is a token creation platform launched in 2025 that allows users to create tokens without needing to write code. The platform is integrated with Gate Layer for on-chain deployment and connects to Gate's exchange infrastructure for trading access. In its latest report, Gate Fun continued to drive ecosystem activity in November, rolling out the Gate Swap liquidity pool and further closing the loop between token issuance and secondary trading. Backed by a no-code token creation flow and transparent on-chain mechanisms, creator engagement accelerated, with monthly token launches rising 49.9% month-on-month and Gate Swap processing more than $6 million in trading volume over the period. 

Launchpool Token Distribution Programs

Gate offers token discovery platforms such as Launchpool, and a specialized trading platform called Gate Alpha for early-stage tokens.

According to CryptoRank's October 2025 report, Gate hosted 35 Launchpool campaigns over a two-month period, distributing approximately $3.3 million in rewards. Total value locked in these programs reached $2.9 billion, representing a 167% increase from the previous month.

Gate's 300th Launchpool campaign occurred in 2025, with cumulative rewards distributed since the program's inception exceeding $96.8 million. Data from the exchange’s latest November transparency report indicates thatIn Launchpool platform listed seven new projects, drawing more than 110,000 participants and pushing total staked assets to $826 million. The standout was PLAYSOLANA, which recorded a peak annualized yield of 7,882.81%. Users were also able to earn up to 116% in additional airdrop rewards on top of base staking yields, underscoring the outsized returns available on select pools. Despite the headline figures, Launchpool continued to emphasize relatively stringent project selection and a structured rewards framework, positioning the program as a curated entry point for users seeking higher-yield, higher-potential assets.

Oracle Red Bull Racing Partnership and NFT Fan Campaign

Gate entered a multi-year sponsorship agreement with Oracle Red Bull Racing announced on February 10, 2025. The partnership designates Gate as the Oracle Red Bull Racing team's official cryptocurrency exchange partner, with Gate branding appearing on the race car, driver suits, and driver helmets during the 2025 season.

NFT Digital Collectibles Campaign

In May 2025, Gate, Oracle Red Bull Racing, and Layer 2 network Abstract launched a digital collectibles campaign called "In the Moment." The campaign distributed NFTs through Gate's marketplace, with releases tied to specific race events around the world.

According to Gate's reporting, the campaign resulted in over 32 million NFT mints with participation from more than 388,000 participants This represents one of the larger NFT campaigns associated with a major sports partnership in 2025.

The partnership illustrates how cryptocurrency exchanges are using traditional sports sponsorships combined with blockchain-based digital collectibles to reach audiences beyond existing cryptocurrency users.

Understanding Gate's Strategic Direction

Gate's 2025 developments reflect a broader question in the cryptocurrency industry: should exchanges remain specialized trading platforms, or expand into infrastructure providers offering multiple services?

Gate's approach involves several distinct components:

Regulatory framework: Licenses in the EU (MiCA) and Dubai (VARA/DMCC) provide regulatory authorization to operate under different regulatory regimes, each with specific compliance requirements. Gate Australia went live in October 2025.

Infrastructure layer: Gate Layer provides a Layer 2 blockchain network that recorded 100 million wallet addresses within two weeks of launch, though the long-term utility and retention of these wallets remains to be observed.

Trading options: The parallel operation of centralized derivatives and Gate Perp DEX offers both custodial and self-custodial trading, addressing different user preferences around control and convenience.

Token distribution: Gate Fun, Launchpool, and Gate Alpha provide various mechanisms for token creation and early-stage access, serving users interested in new token launches.

Brand awareness: The Red Bull Racing partnership with 32 million NFT mints represents an attempt to reach audiences outside existing cryptocurrency communities.

These initiatives target different market segments — institutions requiring regulatory compliance, users seeking blockchain infrastructure, traders interested in early-stage opportunities, creators needing token launch tools, and mainstream audiences entering through sports partnerships.

Disclaimer: The content herein does not constitute any offer, solicitation, or recommendation. You should always seek independent professional advice before making any investment decisions. Please note that Gate may restrict or prohibit the use of all or a portion of the Services from Restricted Locations. For more information, please read the User Agreement via https://www.gate.com/legal/user-agreement.