Gate is quietly becoming one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges. Founded in 2013 as a solo project by Dr. Lin Han, the platform now serves over 49 million users, has more than 2,000 employees, and lists over 5,000 tokens. Additionally, its range of traditional financial products is rapidly expanding.
In an interview with BeInCrypto, Dr. Han explained what triggers this growth, why he believes the line between crypto and traditional assets has blurred, and how artificial intelligence will fundamentally change the habits of crypto traders.
From Independent Developer to Global Platform
Dr. Han launched Gate — initially known as Bter.com — on his own. After thirteen years, the exchange now offers over 50 products and services. However, Han believes that these numbers are not that significant.
'The number doesn't matter much. The main important thing is to polish a product thoroughly when you develop it. 80% is not enough. 90-95% quality is a must. You need to be number one in the product,' he said.
This product-focused approach has already reflected early on the range of assets. In 2013, Gate was among the first cryptocurrency exchanges to aggressively list altcoins, offering over 100 tokens at a time when most platforms were satisfied with just a few coins. Dr. Han recalls, 'At that time, we were the only cryptocurrency exchange capable of achieving that.'
According to Han, the next growth phase will come from regulated markets. Gate currently holds licenses in 80 different jurisdictions. This includes 44 U.S. states, as well as over 20 European countries under MiCA. The platform also has licenses in Dubai, Japan, and Australia.
'Last year, we launched our platform specifically for regulated regions; this year, we want to grow the number of users there,' says Dr. Han, adding that it is still challenging to compete with well-established local competitors in Europe and other regions. 'Some places have their own companies that have been operating for years. We are the new player. We must ensure that more people get to know us,' he said.
The Wall Between Cryptocurrency and Traditional Finance is Coming Down
Gate is no longer limited to crypto-focused assets. It is rapidly opening up to what the industry calls the integration of TradFi (traditional finance). The cryptocurrency exchange now offers tokenized stocks, gold, silver, commodities, and stock indices. All of this can be traded on the same platform where users manage their crypto portfolios, 24/7.
Dr. Han summarized the two main problems behind this move as follows: Firstly, many users in various countries cannot open brokerage accounts in the U.S.; secondly, the trading hours on traditional exchanges are limited.
'We can offer a much more accessible system with crypto. Users can trade 24/7 in any country and at any time. Both crypto and traditional assets are managed under the same roof, in the same way. Life is becoming much easier for users,' he stated.
He emphasizes that there is also a significant advantage in terms of portfolio creation. Crypto assets are usually very interconnected: When Bitcoin drops, most altcoins follow. However, when you add assets with low correlation like gold or U.S. stocks to the platform, serious diversification opportunities arise for the first time.
'In the past, users could only trade crypto, and most assets were already connected. Now they have additional options with traditional assets. Gold is definitely not connected to Bitcoin. You can choose silver, commodities, and U.S. stocks. Many avenues have opened up to manage your portfolio and reduce your risk,' Dr. Han explained.
Looking further ahead, he predicts a period where the distinction between crypto and traditional assets will completely disappear: 'In the future, you won't need to separate which is crypto and which is a traditional asset. You will see all of them as your own assets. This will fundamentally change the philosophy of portfolio management,' he said.
AI: Transitioning from Interface to Infrastructure
The conversation shifts this time to artificial intelligence. Dr. Han shares his vision, which he calls 'Smart Web3': He envisions a future where AI agents completely transform the currently complex cryptocurrency trading interfaces.
The core of the problem is this: Crypto products are now very complex, especially for beginners. 'You see too many numbers on the screen, too many buttons — spot trading, futures, options, profit section. Which one should you enter? Where should you start? This is really too complex for users,' says Dr. Han. 'And think about Web3; there are tens of thousands of DApps. Millions of tokens are released every year. It's impossible to understand which token to choose,' he said.
Gate's approach is two-phased. The first phase is already in place: AI agents help users query token information, learn about platform features, and discover trading strategies in the existing interface. The second phase is ambitious: the complete elimination of the traditional interface.
'Users will no longer have to use the old interface and old tools. They just tell the AI agent what they want. AI does everything else,' summarized Dr. Han, saying, 'If they want to buy Bitcoin, just saying “buy Bitcoin for me” is enough. If they want to earn interest, they tell the AI, “I want to invest my Bitcoin for interest.” The AI finds the best return, and the job is done.'
He predicts that this transformation will become visible within a year and will create a much larger change within two years. Compared to the five-year prediction often mentioned in the industry, this time is much shorter.
'In my view, it's not five years. At most two years,' he said.
Beyond user experience, Dr. Han believes that AI will also change the way capital flows in the market. He argues that human-led capital distribution is inherently inefficient: While investors leave their money sitting idle, good projects struggle to find funding. AI agents can work tirelessly day and night, processing vast amounts of data to make the process much more efficient.
'It's not guaranteed that individual users will make money. But AI will definitely be beneficial for the entire ecosystem,' he said. 'AI takes the workload off your shoulders, allowing you to focus your energy on other areas. Use your real intelligence.' Gate has already started implementing AI applications internally. According to Dr. Han, almost all of the company's front-end software is now written by AI, and a transition is expected in the back-end soon.
