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:

Before we knew it, 2025 was drawing to a close. I'd like to take this opportunity to look back on the path we've traveled this year and to formally thank everyone. This year marks the 12th anniversary of Gate. As the saying goes, "12 is a cycle," and Gate has reached a milestone at this special juncture, preparing for a longer journey of exploration.

The past year has been vibrant and exciting for the entire crypto industry. Markets are changing, technology is accelerating, and new cycles and applications are constantly emerging. Gate has also moved forward step by step against this backdrop. Whether it's product updates, business expansion, or our meetings and exchanges with everyone around the world, it all relies on the long-term support and trust of our users, partners, media friends, and the Gate global team. Many things may seem like "results," but what truly sustains us to where we are today is our perseverance after each choice we've made.

This year, Gate achieved several key results, responding to the long-term trust and support of its users: In terms of core trading capabilities, Gate ranked second globally in spot trading volume and liquidity, and remained among the top three globally in contract trading volume and overall strength; in terms of security and asset management, according to the latest reserve report, Gate's total reserves reached $11.676 billion, with a total reserve ratio of 124%, covering nearly 500 user assets, making it the platform with the most publicly disclosed reserve currencies in the industry, significantly ahead of other mainstream exchanges. At the same time, Gate has also embraced a broader mainstream stage with a more open approach, officially becoming an official sponsor of the F1 Red Bull Racing team and partnering with Inter Milan Football Club as its official armband sponsor, bringing the professional image of the crypto industry to more global scenarios.

2025 will be a crucial turning point for Web3 to mature.

My deepest impression this year is that Web3 is becoming more "real." Technologies that were once confined to niche geek circles are now being implemented in real-world scenarios and undergoing wider market and user testing. Whether it's on-chain performance, cross-chain capabilities, or user experience, there are fundamental differences compared to a few years ago. Many issues previously considered "unstable" or "not user-friendly" are gradually being improved, making Web3 ready for large-scale application.

Some interesting changes have also occurred in the market. With Bitcoin hitting new highs multiple times this year, a significant amount of long-term capital has returned to the crypto market. However, the focus is no longer solely on short-term prices, but rather on platform stability, asset transparency, and the long-term viability of the ecosystem. The continued activity of on-chain data also reflects a trend: more and more value creation and trading activities are gradually returning to on-chain, rather than remaining solely on speculative logic.

Meanwhile, the integration of Web3 with other technology fields became very evident in 2025. AI is no longer just an "auxiliary tool," but has begun to participate in transactions, data analysis, and risk management; encrypted payments are gradually entering real-life scenarios, making digital assets more than just numbers in an account; and digital asset management is moving from simple holding to more refined and long-term allocation. These changes make me more convinced that Web3 is becoming an important underlying layer of the next-generation digital economy, providing fundamental support for long-term innovation and sustainable development.

Our continued investment in Web3 is not driven by chasing concepts, but by a clear understanding that for Web3 to reach a wider audience, it must be built upon a more robust infrastructure, a more user-friendly product experience, and a more stable and reliable environment. Only when these conditions are gradually met can Web3 truly integrate into daily life, rather than remaining confined to the technological world of a select few.

As the ecosystem expands and the technology matures, Gate's mission becomes increasingly clear: we aim to connect not only the market itself, but also on-chain and off-chain, technology and applications, and innovation and real-world needs. Whether in terms of security, performance, openness, or compliance, we will continue to solidify the foundation and stabilize the system.

Looking ahead, Gate will continue to focus on this direction, building a more open, secure, and efficient global Web3 ecosystem. We're not in a rush to be the fastest, but rather we hope to move more steadily and reliably, accompanying more users into the next phase of Web3.

By 2025, Gate will have followed a solid and clear growth path.

Many things may not seem remarkable to outsiders, but to us, we have taken every step clearly and firmly.

Products and Technology: This year, we've invested heavily in infrastructure, truly connecting on-chain and off-chain operations. This isn't simply about adding a few features, but about fundamentally restructuring the entire system's collaborative operation around the whole chain ecosystem. Our high-performance Layer 2 network, Gate Layer, and on-chain applications have been gradually implemented, making cross-chain asset transfers smoother and lowering the barriers to on-chain transactions. Increased user engagement is clearly visible in our backend data. These achievements may not be immediately apparent to outsiders, but they are the key foundation for the platform's long-term development.

User Service and Asset Security: This year, we've upgraded our VIP system and wealth management services to truly support users through economic cycles. Meanwhile, security, risk control, and transparency remain our top priorities. The smoother transactions, faster responses, and more stable experience that users experience are the result of our daily dedication.

Compliance Development and International Expansion: 2025 was a significant milestone for Gate. We continued our compliance efforts in key markets such as Dubai, Europe, and Australia, adapting to the challenges of different regulatory environments. It wasn't an easy path, but I firmly believe that any platform truly aiming for long-term growth must embrace the rules head-on. As the global compliance framework gradually takes shape, Gate is simultaneously expanding its international footprint, laying a solid foundation for serving a wider range of users in the future.

Global Brand Development: Following its brand upgrade this year, Gate's recognition in the international market has been steadily increasing, and its user base is also growing steadily. Through cross-industry collaborations with companies like the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team and Inter Milan Football Club, as well as numerous offline events and cultural activities, we are bringing Web3 from an internally confined concept to a more open public consciousness. These endeavors are not aimed at short-term returns, but I believe they are changing the way more people enter the world of Web3.

Team and Organization: This year, we have continued to invest in team building and global talent acquisition, and have gained a clearer understanding of our capabilities. In my view, human resources are one of the most important aspects of risk control for an exchange. Regardless of market changes, Gate has always maintained a cautious and steady pace in its organizational development. Today, Gate has built a highly international, diverse, and professional global team with solid technical capabilities and a long-term perspective. We insist on transparent and fair compensation incentives and continuously optimize our benefits and growth system. These investments may not be immediately apparent, but they constitute Gate's inherent resilience to navigate economic cycles and continue to evolve.

Looking back at 2025, I believe Gate's achievements this year were not accidental. They are a direct result of our long-standing commitment to our beliefs and our courage to embark on the "difficult but correct path." These seemingly slow accumulations will eventually transform into real competitiveness at some point in the future, becoming the core strength for us to move towards the next stage of Web3.

Why is Gate firmly committed to going all-in on Web3?

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

In 2025, we strive to bring Web3 out of the "screen." Through sports partnerships, cultural events, offline conferences, and exchanges, we hope to do more than simply talk about technology; we want to allow more people to experience Web3 in an easy and intuitive way for the first time. Many people may not understand blockchain, but they can feel the new ways of participation and value connections, which in itself is the beginning of popularization.

At the same time, 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 also on whether Web3 can be transformed into long-term trust. When blockchain begins to integrate into daily processes such as payments, settlements, and asset transfers, users will not need to understand complex concepts to directly experience changes in efficiency and user experience. This "seamless yet tangible" use is the inevitable path for Web3 to reach the masses.

This is why I've always believed that Web3 shouldn't be a technology users need to understand, but rather something that should naturally integrate into everyone's lives. For Gate, "All in Web3" isn't just a slogan, but a long-term commitment. We prefer to invest our time and resources in fundamental capabilities and real-world applications, patiently refining and continuously advancing them, so that Web3 is no longer just a concept to be discussed, but a reality that is unfolding.

As we move toward 2026, we have a clearer understanding of where we are headed.

If the past decade has primarily seen blockchain reshaping the underlying logic of the financial system, then Web3 will truly enter everyone's daily life in the future.

2026 will not only be a year of continued industry development, but also a pivotal year for blockchain to reach the masses and become a part of everyday life. What we hope to see is no longer users changing their habits to understand Web3, but rather Web3 naturally integrating into investment, wealth management, payments, and asset management, becoming a necessity like water, electricity, and the internet.

This is precisely the core goal of Gate All in Web3: to connect the entire digital economy with the Gate App. Users can easily complete investments and transactions, on-chain wealth management, decentralized finance, cross-border payments, and real-world consumption without having to switch between different systems or rely on the complex and fragmented intermediary structures of traditional finance, thus gaining full control over their assets, decision-making, and lifestyle.

We believe that a truly mature Web3 will not make the world more complex, but rather make individuals more free. Entering 2026, Gate hopes to work with the entire industry to turn this freedom from a concept into reality.

In 2026, we will continue to increase talent recruitment and build the best employer brand.

In 2026, we will continue to increase our strategic resources into talent development, reward the Gate team that has been with us all the way, provide highly competitive incentive mechanisms for core and key positions in the future, recruit top talent globally, and build the best employer brand.

The world of Web3 is just taking off, presenting both a rare opportunity and a mission requiring long-term commitment. We look forward to more like-minded partners joining us to propel Web3 into broader real-life applications and change the world together.

Conclusion

At this point, my heartfelt gratitude is most evident. Thank you to every user for their trust, and thank you to all our partners and media friends for your support and companionship at different stages. Whether in favorable or volatile market conditions, it is your choice and perseverance that has given us the opportunity to continue pursuing this long-term endeavor.

The industry has changed rapidly over the past year, but it is precisely in this process that I have witnessed user growth, the dedication of partners, and have become even more convinced that Web3 is worth building in the long term. I hope that in the new year, everyone can stay healthy, continue to progress, and go further and more steadily in their respective fields.

Gate will continue to stand with you, focusing on product development, ecosystem building, and security. The future of Web3 won't happen overnight, but it will mature step by step. We look forward to continuing this journey together, embracing a more open and expansive Web3 era.

Gate Founder and CEO

Dr. Han