At the main stage of the Hong Kong Web3 Festival on April 21, 2026, Gate Founder and CEO Dr. Han delivered a keynote titled "Move Everything On-Chain." In his remarks, he reviewed Gate's 13-year evolution and offered a clear view on the structural shift underway in the global financial system: on-chain is not an option, but an emerging form of financial infrastructure.
Thirteen Years of Structural Evolution: From Trading Platform to On-Chain Ecosystem
Dr. Han noted that Gate has undergone several major structural transitions since its founding. The platform began with digital asset trading and gradually expanded into a comprehensive offering that includes derivatives, asset management, and diversified services. It is now moving toward an integrated on-chain and multi-asset framework. To date, Gate serves more than 52 million users globally, operates across over 80 jurisdictions, and manages digital assets exceeding $10 billion. Throughout this process, the platform has continuously refined its product structure and technology stack to strengthen infrastructure capabilities and support ongoing service expansion.
Market Context: Crypto Cycle Adjustment and TradFi Divergence Open New Growth Pathways
Dr. Han observed that the crypto market is currently in a cyclical correction phase. Bitcoin has declined by roughly 40% from its peak, while total market capitalization has decreased from $4 trillion to around $2 trillion. Activity on decentralized exchanges and new asset issuance has also slowed. In contrast, traditional financial markets have remained resilient, with gold prices nearly doubling, the Nasdaq rising about 30%, and crude oil gaining approximately 15%. More importantly, traditional finance continues to exceed crypto markets by a wide margin in both market size and trading volume. Against this backdrop, he emphasized that tokenizing traditional financial assets and bringing them on-chain (RWA) will become a key pathway to connect the two systems and unlock incremental growth.
Core Insight: On-Chain as the Form of Future Financial Systems
At the core of his speech, Dr. Han highlighted that blockchain is evolving from a technical tool into a foundational financial infrastructure. In his view, the significance of on-chain systems lies not in creating new asset classes but in reshaping how assets are issued, transferred, and priced. This shift enhances efficiency while also restructuring traditional financial models. By enabling more frequent and transparent asset flows, on-chain systems compress the boundaries between trading and settlement, redefining the intermediary-driven framework that has long dominated finance.
Looking ahead, Dr. Han presented a key perspective: finance will converge into a unified system, where the distinction between crypto and traditional finance becomes less relevant. In such a system, off-chain assets may increasingly be viewed as less efficient, while on-chain assets benefit from improved liquidity and accessibility, supporting broader adoption and more competitive pricing dynamics.
Strategic Direction: Rebuilding Trading Access and Liquidity Infrastructure
Dr. Han stated that Gate's strategic focus extends beyond integrating CEX and DEX. It centers on building a unified trading gateway that connects on-chain ecosystems with traditional finance. As RWA adoption accelerates and more assets move on-chain, exchanges are expected to evolve into multi-asset liquidity hubs. In response, Gate is developing an integrated trading framework that spans spot, perpetual futures, and CFDs, with plans to introduce thousands of tokenized assets. Through continuous trading availability and more efficient asset onboarding mechanisms, the platform aims to enhance global liquidity and market depth, enabling more seamless value transfer across different asset classes.
Outlook: Financial Convergence and the Evolution of a Global Value Network
In closing, Dr. Han reiterated his long-term perspective on the industry. He noted that Gate will continue to expand its multi-asset capabilities and support closer integration between traditional and digital assets within a unified framework. As asset structures and trading models continue to evolve, the platform will adopt a more open architecture to accommodate diverse asset types and improve cross-market liquidity efficiency. This approach is intended to support the development of a more connected and adaptable global value network in an evolving financial landscape.
About Gate
Gate, founded in 2013 by Dr. Han, is one of the world's earliest cryptocurrency exchanges. The platform serves over 52 million users with 4,500+ digital assets and pioneered the industry's first 100% proof-of-reserves. Beyond core trading services, Gate's ecosystem includes Gate Wallet, Gate Ventures, and other innovative solutions.
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