Gate.io
Gate.io
Data verified on unchanged since the sources
Worth it if you want the widest altcoin selection (4,600+ assets) and very low futures fees (0.015% maker), operating outside the EU, US and Italy.
Avoid it if you are in Italy or prioritise protection: a Cayman base, no MiCA authorisation, no documented Proof of Reserves and many low-quality tokens.
Gate.io is an exchange with over 4,600 assets, ranking first for altcoin selection, and very low futures maker fees (0.015%). Its Cayman base and questionable governance raise concerns, while the vast listing exposes users to a high risk of low-quality tokens.
Data & conditions
| Maker / Taker fee | 0.2% / 0.2% |
|---|---|
| Markets | Spot + Derivatives |
| Max leverage | 100× |
| Supported assets | 1700+ |
| Fiat on-ramp | Yes |
| Staking / Earn | Sì, prodotti Earn e staking disponibili |
| Fund custody | Custodial (platform holds funds) |
| KYC | Full |
| Supported countries | APAC, LATAM, MENA · 100+ countries |
| Regulator | AUSTRAC, MFSA |
| OAM Italy registration | No |
| Segment | B2C |
| MiCA / License status | VASP |
Strengths
- 4.600+ asset — #1 selection altcoin; 0,015% futures maker fee.
- No notable sovereignty advantage documented.
Weaknesses
- Cayman; governance questionabile; risk altcoin of low qualità.
- Custodial: the platform holds your funds and can freeze or lose them.
- Full KYC required: verified identity, zero pseudonymity.
Verdict
The score stays mid-tier because the rich lineup (4,600+ assets, first for altcoin selection, 0.015% futures maker fees) clashes with weak safeguards: a Cayman base, limited regulators (AUSTRAC, MFSA), questionable governance and no availability in Italy. The vast listing is also a risk, exposing the user to many low-quality tokens.
Custodial with full KYC and a privacy score of 3: the breadth of the listing does not offset the absence of self-custody and verified identity. The vast altcoin selection may look like freedom of choice, but it remains access to tokens through a centralized intermediary, not permissionless on-chain operation.
Promp's editorial rating based on real fees and net annual cost. Promp reviews third-party products independently.
"Sovereignty" rating: score computed on privacy/anonymity (30%), fund control (20%), censorship resistance (20%), trustless/auditability (20%) and costs (10%). Same data, different weights.
Reputation
What happened to people who used Gate.io, and what users say. External signals: they do not feed the promp.it rating.
Incidents & regulatory actions
Past incidents, resolvedDocumented and closed events. They stay on file: an operator’s past is data, not a verdict.
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Hack / funds theft Moderate $272K ✓ resolved
Double-spend on Ethereum Classic deposits during the 51% attack on the network: the exchange absorbed the loss, about 40,000 ETC, and recovered $100,000 of it
On 7 January 2019, between 00:40 and 04:20 UTC, the Ethereum Classic network suffered a 51% attack: properly confirmed transactions were voided by a chain rollback. The party that lost money was Gate.io, which had already credited those deposits. The exchange tells the story itself: on 8 January 2019 Gate.io Research published its own analysis — seven rolled-back transactions, four attributed to the attacker for 54,200 ETC in total (about $271,500 at the time), with an actual loss to the exchange of roughly 40,000 ETC — and stated that "Gate.io will take all the loss for the users". On 12 January 2019 at 04:07 UTC Gate.io published a second official announcement: "On Jan.10, we found that the recent ETC 51% attacker returned 100k USD value of ETC back to Gate", adding that it had tried to contact the attacker without reply and did not know the reason. The technical point, which is the interesting part for anyone assessing the exchange: the attack targeted the network, not Gate.io's systems, but the loss landed on the exchange because it credited ETC deposits after too few confirmations. After the incident Gate.io raised its ETC confirmation threshold (from 12 to 500, per its own communication at the time) and introduced a double-spend alert system for proof-of-work chains. What we did NOT find, and we say so: a past-tense confirmation that user reimbursement was completed. The 2019 commitment is forward-looking; in seven years no users appear to have been left short, there is no litigation and no collective complaint, and that is why the case is treated as closed — not because a closure statement exists.
↗ source
verified on
Public reviews
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App Store ↗
4.3/5
5,201 reviews
US storefront (iTunes id 1294998195; raw averageUserRating 4.26).
- Trustpilot ↗ 1.5/5 1,418 reviews
Weighted average across 2 public review platforms (6,619 reviews in total), weighted by volume. This is not our rating: it is those platforms’ average.
FAQ
What are Gate.io's fees?
On Gate.io, spot fees are maker 0.2% / taker 0.2%. They drop with monthly volume and VIP tier.
Is Gate.io regulated in Europe?
Gate.io is not currently MiCA-authorised. It is not listed in the Italian OAM register. Licence: VASP.
Does Gate.io publish Proof of Reserves?
Proof of Reserves publication is not documented for Gate.io. No third-party reserve audit is documented. Reserve transparency is a critical factor after the FTX collapse.
Can I send transfers to third-party IBANs from Gate.io?
No, Gate.io is an exchange and does not allow transfers to third-party IBANs: fiat withdrawals return to a bank account in your own name.
Does Gate.io support derivatives and futures?
Gate.io offers derivatives trading, with up to 100x leverage.
Sources
- Official service page Maker/taker fees · Regulatory framework · Derivatives · Founders · +11 Data verified on Jun 13, 2026
- cima.ky Data verified on Jun 15, 2026
- crunchbase.com Company type · Stock ticker · Stock listing · IPO date · +2 Data verified on Jun 15, 2026
- gate.com Corporate site Data verified on Jun 15, 2026
Show 1 more source
- pitchbook.com Legal name Data verified on Jun 15, 2026