Gate Founder Dr. Han’s 2025 Year-End Open Letter: Web3 is About to Change Everyone’s Life

Dear Gate users, partners, and media friends,

As 2025 comes to a close, I would like to take a moment to look back on the year we’ve shared and to thank all of you, sincerely. This year also marks Gate’s 12th anniversary. As the saying goes, “twelve years complete a cycle.” At this significant milestone, Gate has reached a crucial stage in its journey, while also preparing for a longer and more ambitious path ahead.

Over the past year, the crypto industry has been both vibrant and fast-moving. Markets have evolved, technologies have accelerated, and new cycles and applications have continued to emerge. Gate has moved forward step by step within this broader context. Whether it was product iteration, business expansion, or meeting many of you across different regions of the world, none of this would have been possible without the long-term trust and support of our users, partners, media friends, and Gate’s global team. Many achievements may appear as “results” on the surface, but what truly carried us here was persistence after countless choices made along the way.

This year, Gate achieved several important milestones, offering a tangible response to the trust and support of our users. In core trading capabilities, Gate ranked second globally in spot trading volume and liquidity, while derivatives trading volume and overall strength remained firmly within the global top three. In terms of security and asset management, according to the latest proof-of-reserves report, Gate’s total reserves reached $11.676 billion, with a reserve ratio of 124%, covering nearly 500 types of user assets. It is currently the platform with the largest number of disclosed reserve currencies in the industry, significantly outpacing other mainstream exchanges. At the same time, Gate stepped onto a broader mainstream stage with greater openness, officially becoming an official sponsor of Oracle Red Bull Racing in Formula 1, and continued to partner with FC Internazionale Milano as an official sleeve sponsor, bringing a more professional image of the crypto industry into global public arenas.

2025 was a turning point toward Web3 maturity.

My strongest impression this year is that Web3 is becoming more “real”. Technologies that once existed primarily within niche, developer-driven communities are now entering real-world scenarios and facing broader market and user validation. Whether in on-chain performance, cross-chain capabilities, or user experience, the gap compared to a few years ago has narrowed fundamentally. Many issues once considered “unstable” or “hard to use” are gradually being resolved, giving Web3 realistic conditions to scale toward broader adoption.

At the market level, several notable shifts also emerged. As Bitcoin reached new highs multiple times this year, more long-term capital returned to the crypto market. However, attention has moved beyond short-term price changes toward platform resilience, asset transparency, and the long-term vitality of ecosystems. Continued on-chain activity further reflects a clear trend: more value creation and trading behavior is moving on-chain, rather than remaining within a purely speculative framework.

At the same time, the convergence of Web3 with other technological fields became increasingly visible in 2025. AI is no longer just an auxiliary tool, but has begun to participate directly in trading, data analysis, and risk management. Crypto payments are gradually entering everyday life, allowing digital assets to move beyond mere account balances. Digital asset management is also evolving from simple holding to more refined, long-term allocation strategies. These developments reinforce my belief that Web3 is becoming a foundational layer of the next-generation digital economy, supporting long-term innovation and sustainable growth.

Our continued investment in Web3 is not driven by narratives or hype, but by a growing clarity: for Web3 to reach broader audiences, it must be built on solid infrastructure, user-friendly product experiences, and a stable, trustworthy environment. Only when these foundations are in place can Web3 truly integrate into daily life, rather than remain confined to a small technical circle.

As the ecosystem expands and technology matures, Gate’s mission has become increasingly clear. We aim to connect not only markets, but also on-chain and off-chain worlds, technology and applications, innovation, and real-world needs. Across security, performance, openness, and compliance, we will continue to strengthen our foundations and stabilize our systems.

Looking ahead, Gate will continue moving in this direction, building a more open, secure, and efficient global Web3 infrastructure. We are not focused on being the fastest, but on moving steadily and reliably, accompanying more users into the next phase of Web3.

In 2025, Gate followed a clear and grounded growth trajectory

Many of our efforts may not appear highly visible externally, but internally, each step has been deliberate and firmly executed.

• Products and Technology: This year, we invested heavily in infrastructure, truly connecting on-chain and off-chain systems. Rather than simply adding features, we restructured system coordination across the entire ecosystem. Our high-performance Layer 2 network Gate Layer and related on-chain applications have progressively gone live, enabling smoother cross-chain asset movement and lowering barriers to on-chain trading. Increased user participation is clearly reflected in our internal data. While these outcomes may not draw immediate external attention, they form the critical foundation for long-term platform development.
• User Services and Asset Security: We carried out comprehensive upgrades to our VIP system and wealth management services, aiming to support users through market cycles. Security, risk control, and transparency remained our highest priorities. The smoother trading experience, faster responses, and greater stability users feel are the result of where we invest the most effort every day.
• Compliance and Global Expansion: 2025 marked a major milestone for Gate. We continued advancing compliance initiatives across key markets, including Dubai, Europe, and Australia, navigating diverse regulatory environments. This has not been an easy path, but I firmly believe that any platform seeking long-term development must engage directly with regulatory frameworks. As global compliance standards take shape, Gate’s international expansion has progressed in parallel, laying a solid foundation for broader global services.
• Global Branding: Following our brand upgrade this year, Gate’s recognition in international markets has steadily increased, alongside consistent user growth. Through partnerships with Oracle Red Bull Racing in F1, FC Internazionale Milano, and various offline events and cultural initiatives, we have brought Web3 from an industry-insider concept into a broader public view. These efforts are not aimed at short-term returns, but I believe they are gradually reshaping how more people perceive the Web3 world.
• Team and Organization: We continued investing in team building and global talent acquisition throughout the year, guided by increasingly clear judgment. In my view, human capital itself is one of an exchange’s most important forms of risk control. Regardless of market conditions, Gate has maintained a cautious and steady pace in organizational development. Today, Gate has built a highly international, diverse, and professional global team with strong technical capabilities and a long-term vision. We remain committed to transparent and fair compensation, while continuously optimizing benefits and growth systems. These investments may not show immediate results, but they form internal resilience that allows Gate to endure cycles and evolve sustainably.
• Looking back at 2025, I am increasingly convinced that Gate’s achievements were not accidental. They are the result of long-held convictions and the willingness to take the “difficult but right path.” These seemingly slow accumulations will ultimately transform into real competitive strength, becoming the core force driving us into the next stage of Web3.

Why is Gate committed to the “All in Web3” strategy?

This has been one of the questions I’ve been asked most frequently this year. My answer is simple: if Web3 remains confined to a small circle, it will never truly change the world.

In 2025, we worked to bring Web3 beyond the screen. Through sports partnerships, cultural events, offline conferences, and community exchanges, our goal was not merely to explain technology, but to let more people encounter Web3 in a relaxed and intuitive way for the first time. Many may not understand blockchain, but they can experience new forms of participation and value connection. That, in itself, is the beginning of adoption.

At the same time, we continued investing in on-chain development, steadily strengthening the link between Web3 and the real world. Our focus is not only on technical form, but on whether Web3 can translate into long-term trust. When blockchain integrates into payments, settlement, and asset circulation, users do not need to understand complex concepts to feel improvements in efficiency and experience. This kind of “invisible yet real” usage is essential for Web3’s path toward mass adoption.

For this reason, I believe Web3 should not be a technology that users are required to understand, but something that naturally integrates into their lives. For Gate, “All in Web3” is not just a slogan, but a long-term commitment. We choose to invest time and resources into foundational capabilities and real-world applications, refining patiently and advancing steadily, so that Web3 becomes not just a topic of discussion, but a reality in progress.

As we move toward 2026, our direction has become even clearer.

If the past decade was about reshaping the foundational logic of financial systems, the next phase will see Web3 truly enter everyday life. 2026 will not simply be another year of industry development, but a critical moment for blockchain’s transition into the mainstream and real-world adoption.

We hope to see a shift where users no longer need to change their habits to understand Web3. Instead, Web3 should seamlessly integrate into investing, wealth management, payments, and asset management, becoming as essential as water, electricity, or the internet.

This is the core goal of Gate’s All in Web3 strategy: using one Gate App to connect a complete digital economic lifestyle. Without repeatedly switching between systems or relying on fragmented traditional financial intermediaries, users can easily manage investing and trading, on-chain finance, decentralized finance, cross-border payments, and real-world spending, fully controlling their assets, decisions, and pace of life.

We believe a truly mature Web3 does not make the world more complex, but brings individuals more freedom. As we enter 2026, Gate looks forward to working with the entire industry to turn this vision of freedom into reality.

In 2026, we will continue to expand talent recruitment and build a best-in-class employer brand.

Over the next year, we will further increase strategic investment in talent development, ensuring that the Gate team who have stood shoulder to shoulder with us along the way receive greater returns, while offering highly competitive incentive mechanisms for future core and critical roles. Meanwhile, we will recruit top-tier talent worldwide and build a best-in-class employer brand.

The Web3 world is only just beginning to take off. This is both a rare opportunity of our time and a mission that requires long-term commitment. We look forward to more like-minded partners joining us in advancing Web3 into broader real-world adoption and shaping the world together.

Final thoughts

Above all, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude. Thank you to every user for your trust, and to all partners and media friends for your support and companionship throughout different stages. Whether in favorable markets or periods of volatility, your choices and persistence have allowed us to continue building something long-term.

The past year has seen rapid industry change, but within it, I have witnessed the growing maturity of users and the dedication of our partners, reinforcing my belief that Web3 is worth building for the long term. I hope that in the coming year, everyone remains healthy, continues to grow, and moves steadily forward in their respective fields.

Gate will continue standing with you, focusing on building products, strengthening the ecosystem, and safeguarding security. The future of Web3 will not arrive overnight, but it will mature step by step. I look forward to continuing this journey together, moving toward a more open and expansive Web3 era.

Dr. Han

Gate Founder and CEO