Gate: licences, security, fees and reviews
Centralized exchange
Visitor ratings: do you like Gate?
Key facts
- Type
- Centralized exchange
- Exchange launched
- 2013
- Official site
- gate.com
Key facts checked on 29 October 2026 against official sources and regulator registers.
What is Gate
Gate (formerly Gate.io) is a centralised cryptocurrency exchange that its founder and CEO Dr. Han started in 2013. It offers spot, margin, futures and options trading, earn products, and stock and tokenised-stock trading. The Gate brand is used by several separately operating group entities; some of them hold licences in their own countries.
Good to know
- Gate is a brand shared by separate companies. Which one serves a user depends on the country, and only some of them hold licences. ↗
- In the EU, ESMA's MiCA register lists Gate Technology Limited (Malta) as a crypto-asset service provider, authorised by the MFSA on 29 September 2025 and passported to 29 EEA states. ↗
- Japan's FSA register lists Gate Japan K.K. as registered on 27 November 2019 (No. 00018). It was registered as LastRoots; after later renamings (Excia Digital Asset, Coin Master) it became Gate Japan on 26 December 2024, after Gate Group's acquisition of Coin Master. As of 30 September 2026 it lists no crypto-assets handled. ↗
- The global user agreement (last updated 22 July 2026) is governed by Panama law, with ICC arbitration seated in Panama. The agreement does not name the operating company. ↗
- On 11 April 2025 the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority said Gate.io and Gate Global Corp have never been registered or licensed by it. ↗
- Gate states that it is not registered in the Cayman Islands and does not keep an address there. ↗
- Italy's Consob announced on 23 December 2021 that it had ordered access to gate.io (Gate Technology Corp) blocked in Italy; Spain's CNMV warned on 7 February 2022 that gate.io is not authorised to provide investment services there. ↗
- The global user agreement lists several EEA states as restricted locations, including France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Austria and Malta; in the EEA, Gate Technology Limited serves users through gate.com/en-eu under its MiCA authorisation. ↗
- If an account shows no login or activity for two years, Gate may treat its assets as abandoned and close it; balances at or below 10 USDT can then be forfeited without notice. ↗
- TradFi products (crypto-native products tracking share prices, index levels, precious metals, FX or commodities) are settled in crypto and give no ownership of, or dividend rights in, the underlying asset; Gate says its gStocks are backed 1:1 by real shares. ↗
- In a report of 18 September 2018 the New York Attorney General said Gate.io, then operated by Gate Technology Incorporated, declined to take part in its inquiry, and referred it to the NYDFS over possible breaches of New York rules. ↗
Services
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Spot trading | Spot trading in mainstream and trending crypto assets. |
| Margin | Margin trading with leverage, plus leveraged tokens. |
| Derivatives | Futures settled in USDT or BTC, and European-style options. |
| Copy trading | Copy trading of professional traders and quant/bot strategies. |
| Stocks | Stock and ETF trading funded with USDT, and gStocks: tokenised shares backed 1:1 by underlying stocks. |
| Staking / Earn | Staking in proof-of-stake products and Simple Earn, where users lend crypto to other users at a fixed rate for a set term. |
| Fiat deposits | Crypto purchases with Visa, Mastercard and SEPA, and fiat deposits and withdrawals by bank transfer through OTC. |
| Card | Gate Card, a Visa card for spending crypto, first introduced in Europe. |
| Event contracts | Access to Polymarket event markets from the Gate app, using USDT held in the exchange account. |
| Own blockchain | GateChain, an EVM-compatible blockchain. |
| Own token | GateToken (GT), usable to pay trading fees at a discount. |
Licences and registrations
| Jurisdiction | Entity | Licence / registration | Regulator |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Union (Malta) | Gate Technology Limited | MiCA crypto-asset service provider, authorised 29 September 2025 (custody, trading platform, exchange, order execution, transfers); passported to 29 EEA states | Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) |
| Malta | Gate Technology Limited | Financial institution for payment services under the Financial Institutions Act (per Gate) | Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) |
| Japan | Gate Japan K.K. (Gate Japan株式会社) | Registered crypto-asset exchange service provider No. 00018, registered on 27 November 2019 as LastRoots; after later renamings (Excia Digital Asset, Coin Master) it became Gate Japan on 26 December 2024, after Gate Group's acquisition of Coin Master; no crypto-assets listed as handled (register of 30 September 2026) | Financial Services Agency (FSA) / Kanto Local Finance Bureau |
| United Arab Emirates (Dubai) | Gate Technology FZE | VASP licence VL/25/04/007 for exchange services, issued 25 April 2025, status active; may serve retail investors | Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) |
| Gibraltar | Hippo Capital Co Limited (trading as Gate Gibraltar) | DLT Provider, category 2, under the Financial Services Act 2019 (GFSC register as of 7 February 2026; the live register returned 403 on 29 October 2026) | Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (GFSC) |
| Cyprus (EU) | Gate Securities (Cyprus) Ltd (formerly Sheer Markets (Cyprus) Ltd) | Cyprus Investment Firm, licence No. 395/20 dated 18 December 2020 (investment services, not crypto) | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) |
| Australia | Gate Information Pty Ltd | Registered digital currency exchange provider (per Gate) | AUSTRAC |
| Bahamas | Gate Global Limited | Approval to engage in digital asset business (per Gate) | Securities Commission of The Bahamas (SCB) |
| Hong Kong | Hippo Financial Services Limited | Trust or company service provider (TCSP) licence No. TC008572, covering custody of digital currencies (per Gate) | Companies Registry (TCSP licensing) |
| United Arab Emirates (Dubai DMCC) | Gate MENA DMCC | Permission for proprietary trading in crypto commodities (per Gate) | Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) |
Status in the United States and the United Kingdom
- In a report dated 18 September 2018, the New York Attorney General said Gate.io, then operated by Gate Technology Incorporated, had declined to take part in its inquiry, and that it referred Gate.io to the Department of Financial Services over a potential breach of New York's virtual currency rules. New York Attorney General, VMII report (2018)
- Gate's global user agreement lists both the United States and the UK among its Restricted Locations, and says the platform does not intend to serve or solicit “U.S. persons”. Gate, user agreement
- A search of the FCA Financial Services Register on 29 October 2026 for “Gate Technology” and “gate.io” returned no results. In the UK, cryptoasset businesses must register with the FCA under the Money Laundering Regulations before offering in-scope services. FCA: cryptoasset AML/CTF regime; FCA Register search
Checked on 29 October 2026 against regulator registers and the text of the law.
Security and audits
- Most funds are kept in offline multi-signature cold wallets; hot wallets use multi-signature and MPC.
- Withdrawal requests are risk-scored in real time; Gate says that when account security settings change, the system will "freeze withdrawal functionality within 24 hours".
- Multi-factor authentication for login, trading, withdrawals and security settings.
- The proof-of-reserves implementation was audited by Hacken (3 January 2024); a bug bounty programme runs.
- SAFU, a user protection fund financed from trading fees and held in stablecoins and other digital assets, set up in May 2019.
Fees
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Spot taker (help-centre example) | Gate's help centre example (article dated 15 June 2026) uses a 0.1% VIP 0 taker rate; VIP levels run from VIP 0 to VIP 16. Gate's public API lists a fee value of 0.2 for the BTC_USDT spot pair and does not say which tier it refers to. The current rate table on gate.com/fee could not be read on 29 October 2026. |
| On-chain (Trenches) trades | Flat 0.5% on buys and sells |
| GT discount | Lower trading fees when paid in GT; VIP level depends on trading volume and GT holdings |
| Convert | No fee on Convert trades (per Gate) |
Who can use it
- Verification: Gate applies know-your-customer (KYC) and anti-money-laundering checks, with identity authenticated from official documents such as passports or identity cards; users must be at least 18, and information may also be collected from third-party identity verification services.
- The main user agreement excludes, among others, the United States, mainland China, Singapore, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Japan, the UAE, Russia, Cuba, Iran and North Korea; some of these are served by local Gate entities.
History
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 13 April 2013 | Gate launches its crypto trading platform. |
| 18 September 2018 | The New York Attorney General refers Gate.io (Gate Technology Incorporated) to the NYDFS after it declined to join the Virtual Markets Integrity Initiative. |
| 8 May 2019 | Gate sets up SAFU, a user protection fund. |
| 23 December 2021 | Italy's Consob announces that it has ordered gate.io, gateio.rocks and gateio.ws (Gate Technology Corp) blocked in Italy. |
| 7 February 2022 | Spain's CNMV warns that gate.io is not authorised to provide investment services in Spain. |
| 19 April 2023 | Gate Group says it completed an Italian VASP registration. |
| 23 December 2024 | Gate Group acquires the Japanese crypto service provider Coin Master. |
| 26 December 2024 | Coin Master K.K. is renamed Gate Japan K.K. |
| 11 April 2025 | The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority states that Gate.io and Gate Global Corp have never been registered with it. |
| 25 April 2025 | Gate Technology FZE receives a VARA licence for exchange services in Dubai. |
| 19 May 2025 | Gate launches the Gate.com domain and a new brand logo (previously Gate.io). |
| 29 September 2025 | Gate Technology Limited is authorised in Malta under MiCA as a crypto-asset service provider. |
| 3 November 2025 | Gate Australia, run by Gate Information Pty Ltd, goes live. |
| 26 February 2026 | Gate says the MFSA granted Gate Technology Limited, its Malta entity, a Payment Institution licence under the EU's Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2). |
Risks and caveats
- Assets held on Gate are not covered by any external investor compensation, deposit protection or insurance scheme.
- Gate states that it cannot fully rule out losses from cyber-attacks.
- Regulator actions on record: a New York AG referral to the NYDFS (18 September 2018), a Consob blocking order announced on 23 December 2021, a CNMV warning (7 February 2022) and a CIMA notice (11 April 2025).
- Gate is a brand shared by separately operating entities; the global platform's terms are governed by Panama law and which entity serves a user depends on the country.
- Gate's total liability to a user is capped at the fees that user paid in the 3 months before the loss.
- Accounts inactive for two years may be closed and balances of 10 USDT or less forfeited; fees can change without prior notice.
About the company
- Founders
- Dr. Han
- CEO
- Dr. Han
- Founded
- 2013 (company and exchange)
- Legal entity
- Separate entities by region, e.g. Gate Technology Limited (EU, Malta), Gate Technology FZE (Dubai), Gate Japan K.K. (Japan)
- Formerly
- Gate.io (Gate launched the Gate.com domain and a new brand logo on 19 May 2025)
- Own token
- GateToken (GT)
Official links
- Website: www.gate.com
- Fees: www.gate.com/fee
- Proof of reserves: www.gate.com/proof-of-reserves
- Licences: www.gate.com/gategroup/legal/licenses
- Terms of use: www.gate.com/legal/user-agreement
- Security: www.gate.com/security
- Risk disclosure: www.gate.com/legal/risk-disclosure
Questions and answers
Is Gate regulated?
Some Gate entities are: Gate Technology Limited holds a MiCA authorisation in Malta (29 September 2025), Gate Technology FZE a VARA licence in Dubai, and Gate Japan K.K. an FSA registration. The global platform's terms are governed by Panama law.
Does Gate publish proof of reserves?
Yes. Gate publishes a Merkle-tree and zk-SNARK proof of reserves that users can verify with open-source tools; Hacken audited the implementation on 3 January 2024.
What are Gate's fees?
Gate's help centre example (15 June 2026) uses a 0.1% taker rate at VIP 0, with lower rates at higher VIP levels up to VIP 16; Gate's public API lists a fee value of 0.2 for BTC_USDT without naming the tier, and the current VIP fee table could not be read on 29 October 2026. On-chain Trenches trades cost a flat 0.5%.
Who founded Gate?
Gate was founded in 2013 by Dr. Han, who is its CEO. The brand is used by several separately operating group entities.
Is Gate available in the US?
No. The global platform lists the United States as a restricted location and says it does not intend to serve U.S. persons; the UK, Canada and Japan are also restricted.
Is Gate available in the EU?
Gate Technology Limited holds a MiCA authorisation from Malta's MFSA (29 September 2025), passported to 29 EEA states and offered via gate.com/en-eu. The global platform restricts several EEA states, including France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Austria and Malta.
Has Gate faced regulatory action?
Consob announced on 23 December 2021 that it had ordered gate.io blocked in Italy, the CNMV warned about it in Spain (7 February 2022), and CIMA said Gate.io was never registered in the Cayman Islands (11 April 2025). New York's Attorney General referred Gate.io to the NYDFS in 2018.
What happens to inactive Gate accounts?
After two years without login or activity, Gate may close the account and treat its assets as abandoned; balances of 10 USDT or less can be forfeited without notice.
Sources
- Gate — About us (Wayback snapshot 22 October 2026)
- Gate — Regulatory Licenses, Registrations, and Approvals (Wayback 9 October 2026)
- Gate — Proof of Reserves (Wayback 22 October 2026)
- Gate — Security (Wayback 24 August 2026)
- Gate — User Agreement, last updated 22 July 2026 (Wayback 21 September 2026)
- Gate — Risk Disclosure, last updated 3 June 2025 (Wayback 23 March 2026)
- Gate Help Center — How to Calculate Spot Trading Fees (Wayback 15 June 2026)
- ESMA — Interim MiCA register of crypto-asset service providers (CASPs)
- Japan FSA — Register of crypto-asset exchange service providers (as of 30 September 2026)
- VARA — Public register: Gate Technology FZE
- GFSC — Regulated entity: Hippo Capital Co Limited (Wayback 7 February 2026)
- CySEC — Cyprus investment firms register
- CIMA — Gate.io and Gate Global Corp Not Registered With CIMA (11 April 2025)
- Consob — Press release of 23 December 2021 (website blocking)
- CNMV — Warning on www.gate.io (7 February 2022)
- New York Attorney General — Virtual Markets Integrity Initiative report (18 September 2018)
- Gate — Privacy Policy (Wayback 2026)
- Gate — Fee overview (Wayback 2026)
- National Tax Agency (Japan) — Corporate number 4010401125234, change history (as of 29 October 2026)
- Gate, user agreement
- FCA: cryptoasset AML/CTF regime; FCA Register search
More in this section
How voting works
Votes are anonymous and carry no text. Each device has one vote per item; press the same button again to remove it. Cloudflare Turnstile checks that a person is voting. We keep a random device ID in a cookie and a salted hash of the IP address to limit abuse — no names, no accounts. Votes are visitors’ opinions, not investment advice.
Page updated: