Cryptocurrencies are evolving at a rapid pace, and exchanges must redefine innovation and transparency in all aspects of their operations. One of the few leaders who has witnessed this change up close is Dr. Lin Han, the founder of Gate.io, one of the oldest exchanges in the industry.
BeInCrypto interviewed Dr. Lin Han at TOKEN2049 Dubai to explore how Gate.io approaches expansion, regulation, and user trust in today's fierce competition. He also shared insights into DeFi, institutional trends, and the increasing role of AI across cryptocurrency platforms.
With over 10 years of experience and more than 22 million users worldwide, Dr. Lin Han provides a unique perspective on learned lessons, the critical role of security, and the balance between centralized and decentralized finance. This conversation took place during an industry event and delved deeply into the company's approach and the future of Web3 exchanges.
This interview reveals how Gate.io is defining its long-term vision, adapting to regulatory changes, driving institutional adoption, and seamlessly expanding from Web3 to traditional finance through constant dedication to AI-based solutions and transparency.
Strategic Growth, Competition... Long-Term Vision
[The rest of the text continues to be translated in the same manner, maintaining the original formatting and links]When applying for a license in such jurisdictions, we must demonstrate to regulatory authorities that we have robust mechanisms to protect user funds. We provide complete transparency on how we manage wallets, protect private keys, handle cold and hot wallets, and distribute keys across multiple secure locations to ensure safety.
Additionally, in many of these regulated regions, we must purchase insurance for users, which further strengthens fund protection.
This means that user funds are very well protected in regulated markets. In other regions where regulations are not clearly defined, we also apply our own high standards. We demonstrate that we have robust systems to protect users' assets from hackers and other risks.
As mentioned earlier, we provide proof of reserves, another important layer that offers users trust and transparency.
AI Integration...Innovating Security and User Experience
AI is now everywhere. At gate.io, we extensively use AI in our daily operations and products.
Internally, we rely on AI for UI and graphic design, product development, branding, and marketing. It has become an essential part of our workflow.
What many people don't know is that we use AI extensively to support coding. This is highly efficient and provides great support to developers.
AI also plays a crucial role in platform protection. It is particularly useful in enhancing security. By leveraging AI, we can analyze security logs faster and more accurately. It helps detect external and internal threats quickly and effectively.
On the product side, we have already integrated AI features for users. For example, we provide AI-generated news summaries to help users obtain the latest information quickly and efficiently. AI-based summaries have proven to be very useful.
We also use AI to analyze users' financial data. This helps users optimize their funds, assets, and balances. It provides strong support and assurance for financial decisions.
Future Role of Centralized Exchanges
We always say that DeFi is the future. Today, many users are already using Web3 wallets and regularly participating in DeFi. gate.io started as a centralized exchange (CEX), but now we have launched Web3 wallets and provide on-chain services to users.
I always ponder how to build the next-generation exchange for billions of users worldwide. This means supporting various preferences. It's fine if you want to use traditional accounts. It's also fine if you prefer Web3 accounts.
We aim to provide all possible approaches. At the same time, we want users to have complete flexibility to interact with on-chain assets, off-chain assets, or both.
As a platform, we now offer both CEX and DEX functionalities. Rather than competing with Web3 or DeFi, we are actually integrating them, bringing both experiences under one roof.
Leadership Lessons and Advice for Web3 Entrepreneurs
I have learned many valuable lessons in this industry.
About 10 years ago, when I started this business, I didn't know much at the time. I wanted to see many opportunities and grab them quickly. So I moved fast to catch up with everything.
However, I overlooked risk management and security. That was a big lesson for me. Moving quickly can suddenly lead to hacking or facing serious problems.
It was a painful but important realization. I needed to slow down and focus on building robust infrastructure. I should have ensured everything was safe from the beginning.
Those early experiences taught me a lot. I believe that's one of the reasons gate.io has remained stable over the past 10 years. I truly benefited from that change in mindset.
I believe it's important for others, especially Web3 founders and those new to the industry, to think about these things early. It's crucial to learn lessons we have already paid for.
Conclusion
The conversation with Dr. Han indirectly reveals the differentiators of gate.io as a cryptocurrency trading platform. These include a clear focus on trust, relentless pursuit of innovation, and unwavering commitment to security across centralized and decentralized finance. From deep AI integration to proof of reserves and full regulatory compliance in major hubs like Dubai, Dr. Han's experience emphasizes the value of long-term thinking and robust infrastructure.
As cryptocurrency adoption accelerates, gate.io's ability to combine traditional and next-generation finance could shape the path for exchanges worldwide. Dr. Han's advice for new founders is true: learn hard-earned lessons early, prioritize security, and seek solutions that build genuine user trust.
