On April 21, 2026, at the Hong Kong Web3 Carnival main stage, Gate founder and CEO Dr. Han delivered an in-depth speech entitled "Move Everything On-Chain". He systematically reviewed the platform's 13-year evolution and made a highly impactful judgment on the underlying changes in the global financial system: on-chain is not an option, but the form of the financial system.
Thirteen Years of Structural Transformation: From Trading Platforms to On-Chain Ecosystems
Dr. Han pointed out that Gate has undergone several key structural changes since its inception. Starting with early digital asset trading, the platform has gradually expanded into a comprehensive platform encompassing derivatives, asset management, and diversified services, and is currently accelerating its evolution towards an on-chain ecosystem and multi-asset integration system. To date, Gate serves over 52 million users globally, covering more than 80 jurisdictions, and manages over $10 billion in digital assets, forming a foundation for its continuously expanding global business. Throughout this process, the platform has continuously adjusted its product structure and technology layout, aiming to strengthen its infrastructure capabilities and drive the continuous expansion and upgrading of its service system.
Market Status Quo: The crypto winter and the increasing divergence in TradeFi are opening up new growth opportunities.
Dr. Han points out that the current crypto market is in a cyclical adjustment phase: Bitcoin has fallen about 40% from its peak, and the overall market capitalization has dropped from $4 trillion to about $2 trillion. DEX trading activity and the number of new asset issuances have declined simultaneously. However, traditional financial markets are performing strongly, with gold prices nearly doubling, the Nasdaq rising nearly 30%, and crude oil rising about 15%, creating a stark contrast with crypto assets. More importantly, TradeFi still far surpasses the crypto market in terms of market size and trading volume, with a market capitalization more than 100 times larger and trading volume dozens of times higher. Given this structural difference, he emphasizes that tokenizing traditional financial assets and bringing them on-chain (RWA) will become the core path to connecting the two systems and unlocking incremental growth.
Key Insight: On-chain technology represents the future form of the financial system.
In the core of his speech, Dr. Han emphasized that blockchain is evolving from a technological tool into financial infrastructure. He believes that the significance of on-chain technology lies not in creating new asset classes, but in reshaping how assets are generated, circulated, and priced. On-chain systems bring not only efficiency improvements but also a restructuring of traditional financial structures. Through on-chain processing, assets can flow more frequently and transparently, significantly compressing the boundaries between trading and clearing, thereby redefining the traditional intermediary-centric model.
Regarding future industry trends, Dr. Han made an important market prediction: the future of finance will be integrated, eliminating the distinction between crypto and traditional finance. In this context, off-chain assets will be gradually priced as inefficient assets, while on-chain assets, due to their higher liquidity and accessibility, will gradually gain more advantageous market pricing and wider application.
Strategic Layout: Reconstructing Trading Access and Liquidity System
Dr. Han stated that Gate's strategic focus extends beyond simply promoting the integration of CEXs and DEXs; it lies in creating a unified trading portal connecting on-chain and traditional finance (TradFi). He pointed out that with the accelerated implementation of RWA and the on-chaining of multiple assets, exchanges will gradually evolve into multi-asset liquidity hubs. Against this backdrop, Gate is accelerating the construction of an integrated trading system covering spot, perpetual contracts, and CFDs, and plans to list thousands of tokenized assets, bridging the boundaries between on-chain and off-chain assets. Through 24/7 trading capabilities and a more efficient asset access mechanism, the platform will continuously improve global liquidity and market depth, promoting the freer and more efficient flow of value across different asset forms, and reshaping a new trading paradigm under the integration of crypto and traditional finance.
Future Outlook: Financial Integration and the Evolution of Global Value Networks Driven by On-Chain Ecosystems
In his closing remarks, Dr. Han reiterated his confidence in the industry's long-term vision. He stated that Gate will continue to strengthen its multi-asset support capabilities, promoting more efficient connections and collaborations between traditional and digital assets within the same system. He emphasized that as asset forms and transaction structures continue to evolve, Gate will adopt a more open architecture to support diverse assets, improve cross-market and cross-form liquidity, and build a more scalable value connection network within the ever-changing financial system.
About Gate
Founded in 2013 by Dr. Han, Gate is one of the world's leading cryptocurrency trading platforms. The platform serves over 52 million users and supports trading in more than 4,500 crypto assets. As an industry benchmark, Gate was the first to achieve 100% proof of reserves, and its ecosystem encompasses diverse services such as Gate Wallet, Gate Ventures, and Gate for AI. For more information, please visit: Website | X | Telegram | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube
Disclaimer:
This content does not constitute an invitation, solicitation, or recommendation. You should always seek independent professional advice before making any investment decisions. Please note that Gate may restrict or ban all or part of the service from restricted regions. Please read the User Agreement for more information, link: https://www.gate.com/zh/user-agreement .
