Gate CEO Dr. Han on Perpetual Trading, CeDeFi, and Crypto’s Shift in 2025

Core Insights - The launch of CrossEx in October 2025 marks a significant development for professional investors, providing a cross-exchange trading and clearing platform that enhances execution and capital management across multiple venues [1] - The shift in market dynamics has seen institutional capital become the primary driver of liquidity, with large asset managers entering through crypto-linked ETFs and major banks exploring stablecoins [3] - Gate has undergone a comprehensive rebranding and secured multiple regulatory licenses, including the MiCA license in Europe and a full operational license in Dubai, to enhance its operational capabilities [6] Group 1: Market Dynamics - The crypto market has evolved through various bull cycles, with the 2021 rally primarily driven by retail speculation, while the current cycle is characterized by institutional participation [4][3] - In 2025, competition among centralized exchanges has intensified, with a focus on execution quality and capital efficiency, as professional traders increasingly engage in derivatives trading [7] - Retail trading remains influential, with trends such as the popularity of meme coins and perpetual trading gaining traction among users [10][12] Group 2: Infrastructure and Product Development - Gate has expanded its infrastructure to support institutional trading workflows and on-chain participation, reflecting a commitment to adapt to changing market needs [6][15] - The introduction of Gate Layer, a Layer 2 network, aims to provide decentralized access while maintaining performance and reliability for users [16] - The company is focused on building a robust platform that caters to both centralized and decentralized users, enhancing user experience across different trading environments [17] Group 3: Security and Transparency - Security and transparency are paramount, with Gate implementing proof of reserves as early as 2020, covering approximately $12 billion in assets by September 2025 [19][22] - The exchange has adopted advanced verification methods, including Merkle tree verification and zero-knowledge proofs, to ensure user asset safety without compromising sensitive information [20][21] - A vault account system has been introduced to enhance user control over asset security, incorporating multi-party computation technology to prevent unauthorized access [22][23] Group 4: Future Directions - Looking ahead to 2026, Gate aims to simplify user interactions with both centralized and decentralized platforms, addressing friction in navigating complex interfaces [25][26] - The potential integration of artificial intelligence is being explored to streamline the trading process, allowing users to execute trades with minimal effort [27] - The company's vision includes reducing barriers for users, enabling them to express their trading intentions without needing to understand intricate mechanisms [28]