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:

Unknowingly, 2025 is drawing to a close. I would like to take this opportunity to look back on the journey we have traveled this year and formally express my gratitude to everyone. This year marks Gate's 12th anniversary. As the saying goes, "twelve years complete a cycle." At this special juncture, Gate has reached a milestone and is prepared for the next, longer phase of exploration.

Over the past year, the entire crypto industry has been vibrant and exciting. The market has evolved, technology has accelerated, and new cycles and applications have continuously emerged. Gate has also progressed step by step against this backdrop. Whether it's product updates, business expansion, or our global meetups and exchanges, none of this would be possible without the long-term support and trust of our users, partners, media friends, and the global Gate team. Many things may appear as "results," but what truly sustains us to this day is the perseverance following each choice.

This year, Gate has achieved some key milestones, and with this report card, we respond to the long-standing trust and support of our vast user base: In terms of core trading capabilities, Gate's spot trading volume and liquidity rank second globally, while its futures trading volume and overall strength consistently rank among the top three worldwide. Regarding security and asset management, according to the latest Proof of Reserves report, as of now, Gate's total reserve value has reached $11.676 billion, with a total reserve ratio of 124%, covering nearly 500 user assets. This makes Gate the platform with the highest number of publicly disclosed reserve assets in the industry, significantly leading other major exchanges. Simultaneously, Gate has stepped onto a broader mainstream stage with a more open attitude, officially becoming the official sponsor of the F1 Red Bull Racing team and partnering with the Inter Milan football club as its official sleeve sponsor, bringing the professional image of the crypto industry into more global scenarios.

2025: A Crucial Turning Point for Web3's Maturation

My deepest impression this year is that Web3 is becoming more "real." Technologies that once remained within niche geek circles are now being implemented in real-world scenarios, undergoing testing by a broader market and user base. Whether it's on-chain performance, cross-chain capabilities, or user experience, there has been a fundamental difference compared to a few years ago. Many issues previously considered "not stable enough" or "not user-friendly enough" are gradually being improved, providing the practical conditions for Web3 to move towards larger-scale adoption.

Some very interesting changes have also occurred at the market level. As Bitcoin hit new highs multiple times this year, substantial long-term capital has returned to the crypto market. However, the focus is no longer solely on short-term price movements but rather on platform stability, asset transparency, and the long-term viability of ecosystems. The sustained activity in on-chain data also reflects a trend: more and more value creation and trading activities are gradually returning to the chain, rather than remaining confined to a singular speculative logic.

At the same time, the integration of Web3 with other technological fields became very pronounced in 2025. AI is no longer just an "auxiliary tool" but has begun participating in trading, data analysis, and risk management. Crypto payments are gradually entering real-life scenarios, making digital assets more than just numbers in an account. Digital asset management is also evolving from simple holding towards more refined and long-term allocation. These changes reinforce my belief that Web3 is becoming a crucial foundational layer for the new generation of the digital economy, providing the underpinning for long-term innovation and sustainable development.

We continue to invest resources in Web3 not to chase trends, but because we clearly understand that for Web3 to reach a broader audience, it must be built upon more robust infrastructure, more user-friendly product experiences, and a more stable, trustworthy environment. Only as these conditions gradually materialize can Web3 truly integrate into daily life, rather than remaining confined to a technical world for the few.

As the ecosystem expands and technology matures, Gate's mission has become increasingly clear: what we aim to connect is not just the market itself, but also the on-chain and off-chain, technology and application, innovation and real-world needs. Whether in security, performance, openness, or compliance, we will continue to solidify our foundations and stabilize our systems.

Moving forward, Gate will continue to focus on this direction, building a more open, secure, and efficient global Web3 ecosystem. We are not in a hurry to be the fastest, but we hope to walk more steadily and steadfastly, accompanying more users into the next phase of Web3.

2025: Gate's Steady and Clear Path of Growth

Many things may not seem prominent from the outside, but for us, each step has been taken with clarity and determination.

Product and Technology: This year, we devoted significant effort to infrastructure, truly bridging the on-chain and off-chain worlds. It wasn't about simply adding a few features, but rather rethinking the collaborative operation of the entire system around a full-chain ecosystem. Our high-performance Layer 2 network, Gate Layer, and on-chain application infrastructure gradually came online, making cross-chain asset transfers smoother and lowering the barrier to on-chain transactions. The increase in user engagement is clearly visible in the backend data. These achievements might not attract immediate external attention or recognition, but they are the critical foundation for the platform's long-term development.

User Service and Asset Security: This year, we systematically upgraded our VIP system and wealth management services, hoping to truly accompany users through market cycles. Meanwhile, security, risk control, and transparency remain our top investment priorities. The smoother transactions, faster responses, and more stable experiences that users feel are the result of our daily, most intensive efforts.

Compliance Development and Global Expansion: 2025 was a significant milestone for Gate. We continued to advance our compliance processes in key markets such as Dubai, Europe, and Australia, while also adapting to the challenges of different regulatory environments. This is not an easy path, but I firmly believe that any platform genuinely aspiring for long-term development must proactively engage with regulations. As global compliance frameworks gradually take shape, Gate has simultaneously expanded its international presence, laying a solid foundation for serving a broader user base in the future.

Brand Globalization: Following our brand upgrade this year, Gate's recognition in international markets has continuously improved, and our user base has grown steadily. Through cross-industry collaborations like those with F1 Red Bull Racing and Inter Milan, as well as numerous offline events and cultural engagements, we are bringing Web3 from an insular concept into a more open public view. These efforts are not driven by short-term returns, but I believe they are changing the way more people enter the Web3 world.

Team and Organization: This year, we continued to invest in team building and global talent acquisition, gaining clearer insights. In my view, human capital itself is one of the most important risk controls for an exchange. Regardless of market fluctuations, Gate has maintained a cautious and steady pace in organizational development. Today, Gate has established a highly international, diverse, and professional global team, possessing both solid technical capabilities and a long-term perspective. We adhere to transparent and fair compensation incentives and continuously optimize our welfare and growth systems. These investments may not yield immediate results, but they constitute the intrinsic resilience that allows Gate to navigate cycles and evolve continuously.

Looking back at 2025, I believe Gate's achievements this year are not accidental. It is precisely because we have long adhered to our convictions and dared to take the "difficult but right path." These seemingly slow accumulations will ultimately, at some future point, transform into genuine competitive strength, becoming the core force propelling us into the next stage of Web3.

Why is Gate Firmly All-in on Web3?

This is the question I've been asked most frequently this year, and my answer is simple—if Web3 remains confined to a small circle, it will never truly change the world.

In 2025, we worked hard to bring Web3 out from behind the "screen." Through sports partnerships, cultural activities, offline conferences, and exchanges, our goal is not merely to talk about technology, but to allow more people to encounter Web3 for the first time in a relaxed and intuitive way. Many may not understand blockchain, but they can experience new ways of participation and value connection, which in itself is the beginning of widespread adoption.

Simultaneously, we continue to invest in on-chain development, constantly promoting the connection between Web3 and the real world. Our focus is not just on the technological form, but on whether Web3 can translate into long-term trust. As blockchain begins to integrate into daily aspects like payments, settlements, and asset transfers, users can directly feel the changes in efficiency and experience without needing to understand complex concepts. This kind of "seamless yet real" usage is the necessary path for Web3 to reach the masses.

For this very reason, I have always believed that Web3 should not be a technology users need to understand, but should naturally integrate into everyone's lives. For Gate, being All-in on Web3 is not just a slogan, but a long-term choice. We prefer to invest our time and resources into foundational capabilities and real-world applications, patiently refining and steadily advancing, so that Web3 is no longer just a discussed concept, but a reality in the making.

Heading into 2026, We Have a Clearer Vision of Our Destination

If the past decade was primarily about blockchain reshaping the underlying logic of the financial system, then the coming period will see Web3 truly entering everyone's daily life.

2026 is not just another year of "industry development"; it is a crucial year for blockchain to move towards the masses and into real life. What we hope to see is not users changing their habits to understand Web3, but rather Web3 naturally integrating into investment, wealth management, payments, and asset management, becoming a life necessity like water, electricity, and the internet.

This is precisely the core goal of Gate's All-in Web3 strategy: to connect a complete digital economic life through the Gate App. Users can effortlessly complete investment and trading, on-chain wealth management, decentralized finance (DeFi), cross-border payments, and real-world consumption without constantly switching between different systems or relying on the complex and fragmented intermediary structures of traditional finance, thereby fully controlling their assets, decisions, and life pace.

We believe that a truly mature Web3 does not make the world more complex, but makes individuals more free. Entering 2026, Gate hopes to work alongside the entire industry to turn this freedom from an idea into reality.

2026: Continuously Increasing Talent Recruitment, Building the Best Employer Brand.

In 2026, we will continue to allocate strategic-level resources to talent development, ensuring greater rewards for the Gate team that has walked alongside us, providing highly competitive incentive mechanisms for future core and key positions, recruiting top global talent, and building the best employer brand.

The world of Web3 has just taken off. This is both a rare opportunity of our times and a mission requiring long-term commitment. We look forward to more like-minded partners joining us to jointly advance Web3 into a broader real-life context and change the world together.

Conclusion

Writing this, what I most want to express is sincere gratitude. Thank you to every user for your trust, and to all partners and media friends for your support and companionship at different stages. Whether in favorable market conditions or during periods of volatility, it is your choices and perseverance that have given us the opportunity to persistently pursue a long-term endeavor.

The past year saw rapid changes in the industry, but it was precisely during these processes that I witnessed the growth of our users, the dedication of our partners, and became even more convinced that Web3 is worth long-term building. I hope that in the new year, everyone can maintain good health, make continuous progress, and walk more steadily and further in their respective fields.

Gate will continue to stand with you, diligently building products, developing the ecosystem, and safeguarding security. The future of Web3 will not happen overnight, but it will mature step by step. We look forward to continuing our journey side by side with everyone in the time ahead, jointly welcoming a more open and expansive Web3 era.

Founder & CEO of Gate