Gate.io Exchange Review 2025: A Complete Guide
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GNCrypto editors review services independently. If you click on affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing. The goal of our reviews is to provide our readers with the most objective and unbiased overviews of available platforms for spot crypto trading.
Gate.io
Gate.io is easy to trade, and offers competitive fees. However, it is not accessible for users in the U.S., China, Germany, France, Spain, Hong Kong, the UAE, and several other countries.
The Bottom Line
Gate.io is one of the most popular crypto exchanges at the end of 2025. Launched in 2013 as Bter and rebranded in 2017, it ranks among the top 10 exchanges by trading volume (Messari) and security (cer.live). In practice, Gate.io is easy to use. What we liked most about Gate.io was its simple interface, clear market overviews, and competitive fees. The main downside for us is its limited availability – restricted in the U.S., China, Germany, France, Spain, Hong Kong, the UAE, and several other countries.
- Low fees
- Various trading options
- Frequent new coin listings
- Unavailable in major markets
- Inactivity penalties
Key Features
Gate.io is a large crypto exchange with a simple interface, clear market overviews, and low fees, suitable for beginners and advanced altcoin traders. Its main limitation is restricted availability in countries including the U.S., China, Germany, France, Spain, Hong Kong, and the UAE.
What Is Gate.io and How Does It Work?
Gate.io is a cryptocurrency exchange with over 45 million users worldwide, according to the official website. The platform was launched in 2013 by Lin Han under the name Bter in China and rebranded to Gate.io in 2017 following the Chinese central bank’s ban on initial coin offerings (ICOs) and fiat-to-crypto spot trading.
According to Messari, the platform ranks as the 10th largest crypto exchange with over $2.5 billion in trading volume.
Our Gate.io review began by following the platform’s step-by-step guide to register and complete identity verification. Once verified, we could buy and sell digital assets using a bank card, with supported payment methods including Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay. The platform also supports crypto-to-crypto trading, staking, lending, and rewards through its native token, GateToken (GT).
Gate.io’s spot trading is available in most jurisdictions; however, it faces restrictions in several major markets, including the U.S., the U.K., Austria, Spain, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, South Korea, and Germany. You can check the full list of restricted countries in the “User Agreement” section, as it may change based on regulatory updates or licensing decisions.
Gate.io’s Core Features and Trading Options
Gate.io supports over 2,100 digital assets for direct purchases with fiat or bank cards, making it beginner-friendly. In total, the platform offers more than 4,000 trading markets, including spot pairs, small-cap tokens, and crypto-to-crypto markets.
In 2019, the platform launched its native cryptocurrency, GateToken (GT), raising $82 million across two sale rounds. GT provides several benefits to users, including reduced trading fees, access to exclusive token sales, VIP tier upgrades, and periodic promotional rewards.
As part of our Gate io review, we tested the platform’s spot trading system and found it easy to place buy and sell orders across thousands of trading pairs at real-time prices.
The base spot trading fee is 0.2% though there are ways to reduce fees: by holding GT or via VIP levels.
Gate.io provides standard order types:
- Market Order: Buys or sells instantly at the best available price. Fastest option, but the final price may vary slightly as the market moves. Good for beginners who want quick execution.
- Limit Order: Lets you set the exact price you want to buy or sell at. The trade only happens if the market reaches that price. Useful when you want more control over your entry or exit.
- Stop-Limit Order: Triggers a limit order once the stop price is reached. Helps automate trades to protect profits or reduce losses.
We also tested more advanced options like Iceberg Orders and IOC (Immediate or Cancel) Orders. Iceberg Orders let traders place large trades without revealing the full size, so the market isn’t affected and strategies remain private. IOC Orders get an immediate fill at the best available price, and any unfilled portion is automatically canceled.
Gate.io Pros and Cons
Strengths:
- Easy to use, with fast trade execution
- Strong security, an 86% score from CER.live
- Advanced trading tools and order types
- 2,100+ digital assets and 4,000+ trading markets
- Frequent new coin listings and access to pre-market trading
Weaknesses:
- Limited access for users in some major markets
- Customer service issues, delayed response to user tickets
- The 0.2% fee is competitive but not super low
- The minimum trade size for spot via API is $10
- Accounts may be locked after prolonged inactivity and require reactivation
In summary, our Gateio review, along with user feedback and data analytics, shows the platform is secure, feature-rich, and offers a wide range of assets. However, some users face account or support issues.
Who Should Use Gate.io?
Based on our testing, Gate.io works well for both beginners and advanced traders. New users can easily buy crypto with fiat, use simple markets or limit orders, and access intuitive portfolio tools. More experienced traders get access to thousands of trading pairs, advanced order types, and deep liquidity across niche tokens.
Like many early exchanges, Gate.io has had its share of public issues. In the past, it was accused of inflating trading volumes, which raised questions about how real its reported activity was.
Several incidents naturally lead users to ask, ‘Is Gate.io good?’ While concerns remain, the platform has improved significantly. Gate.io now operates under a different global structure and has implemented stronger security standards.
Final verdict: Gate.io has transformed since its early days. It is now one of the world’s biggest crypto exchanges, offering a wide range of features, liquidity, and asset variety.
GNcrypto’s Overall Gate.io Rating
| Criteria | Rating (out of 5) |
|---|---|
| Liquidity & Volume | 4.3 |
| Fees & Total Cost to Trade | 3.8 |
| Asset Selection & Trading Pairs | 5.0 |
| Execution Quality / Market Quality | 4.5 |
| Tools & Order Controls | 4.0 |
| Fiat Access & Minimum Trade Size | 3.0 |
| Reliability & Transparency | 4.2 |
Trustworthiness Check
Corporate Standing & Ratings: Gate.io operates via registered entities in Italy (VASP PSV150) and Lithuania; public disclosures remain limited. User feedback varies widely, with inconsistent Trustpilot ratings.
Proof of Reserves (PoR): Gate.io publishes regular PoR snapshots using Merkle-tree + zk-SNARK verification. Latest reports confirm ~$10.8B reserves and a 128% coverage ratio.
Licenses & Market Restrictions: The exchange holds verified registrations in Italy and Lithuania, and Dubai entities hold DMCC/VARA authorization. The main Gate.io platform remains unavailable in the U.S., U.K., and several restricted regions.
Operational Complaints: Users frequently report withdrawal delays, slow KYC reviews, and long support response times, especially during compliance checks. These represent operational – not security – risks. The platform also faced controversy over fake trading volumes, and its listing standards are a regular topic of discussion.
Security Record: Gate.io’s predecessor Bter was hacked in 2015 (7,000 BTC); an ETC 51% attack hit the platform in 2019; and its Twitter account was compromised in 2022. Current safeguards include 95% cold storage, 2FA, and whitelisting.
Methodology – Why You Should Trust Us
We use a weighted, category-based model, collect standardized data from each platform (open data + hands-on testing), and convert that into a 1.0–5.0 star score in 0.1 increments.
Our focus is spot trading quality: real fees, minimum trade size, crypto availability, market quality, and the user-facing experience.
How We Collect Data
- Public data: fee schedules, supported pairs, status/help pages, network/withdrawal info.
- First-hand testing: we place test trades (here: $200), measure spreads/slippage, and check UI speed and order controls.
We do not rate solvency or make guarantees about financial stability. Ratings reflect user experience, not a balance-sheet audit.
Categories & Weights
- Liquidity & Volume – 25%
- Fees & Total Cost to Trade – 25%
- Asset Selection & Trading Pairs – 15%
- Execution Quality (Market Quality) – 10%
- Tools & Order Controls – 10%
- Fiat Access & Minimum Trade Size – 5%
- Reliability & Transparency – 10%
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