Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

This device is too small

If you're on a Galaxy Fold, consider unfolding your phone or viewing it in full screen to best optimize your experience.

Skip to main content

Gate.io Review: Enormous Range of Cryptocurrencies

Review Updated
Emma Newbery

Our Cryptocurrency Expert

Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.

Gate.io is a well-established cryptocurrency exchange for experienced traders looking to buy lesser-known cryptos. It has over 1,300 available cryptos and also offers advanced trading features such as margin trading in some countries. However, it isn't clear whether the platform is fully available to U.S. residents, and the platform is not easy to use. Read our full Gate.io review to find out if it's right for you.

Ratings Methodology

Bottom Line

Outstanding list of available cryptos, suited to advanced traders.

Fees:

Max maker/taker fee 0.2% / 0.2%

Account Minimum:

None

Full Gate.io review

This cryptocurrency exchange is a good fit for: Advanced traders who want to access hard-to-find cryptos.

Pros

  • Wide range of cryptos
  • Accepts around 50 fiat currencies
  • Advanced trading features
  • Reasonable trading fees

Cons

  • Unclear status in the United States
  • Poor English
  • Not user friendly
  • High deposit fees
  • No fiat withdrawals

Top perks

Every cryptocurrency exchange has its strengths and weaknesses. Here are some aspects of Gate.io that stand out.

Wide range of cryptos

Gate.io trades over 1,300 cryptocurrencies. This includes almost all the top 20 cryptos by market cap, along with many less common coins that are hard to find. Its list is magnitudes bigger than many other cryptocurrency exchanges, and is a big reason experienced investors choose the exchange.

Accepts around 50 fiat currencies

According to its website, Gate.io operates in over 200 countries and handles around 50 different fiat currencies (traditional money like U.S. dollars). Whether you want to deposit Indian rupees, South African rand, U.S. dollars, or British pounds, Gate.io has you covered.

Advanced trading features

Gate.io is a feature-rich cryptocurrency exchange. In addition to the normal spot trading you'd expect on any crypto platform, certain users can also access leveraged and futures trading. It also has an NFT trading platform and offers crypto interest-earning products. Some advanced features are not available in certain countries, including the U.S.

Reasonable trading fees

The highest trading fee you'll pay on Gate.io is 0.2%. There are various ways customers can reduce this fee, such as paying in Gate.io's utility token. This fee is not the lowest on the market, but it's also far from being the most expensive.

TIP

Buying your first stocks: Do it the smart way

Once you’ve chosen one of our top-rated brokers, you need to make sure you’re buying the right stocks. We think there’s no better place to start than with Stock Advisor, the flagship stock-picking service of our company, The Motley Fool. You’ll get two new stock picks every month, plus 10 starter stocks and best buys now. The average stock pick inside Stock Advisor is up 755% — more than 4x that of the S&P 500! (as of 9/16/2024). Learn more and get started today with a special new member discount.

What could be improved

Unclear status in the U.S.

Gate.io is sending out mixed messages as to whether Americans can use its platform. It isn't clear what regulatory status the platform has, what states it is allowed to operate in, and what cryptos are restricted for U.S. citizens. What is clear is that certain features, such as its lending product and margin trading, are not available in the U.S., Canada, and Japan. In addition, certain cryptocurrencies may be restricted.

Here is some of the information that doesn't add up:

  • The help section says citizens of the United States, Canada, and Japan can use the platform, but with limited functionality.
  • The signup page for new users says citizens and residents of the United States and several other countries are not supported.
  • However, its user agreement does not list the U.S. as a restricted country.

Gate.io does not, for example, have a BitLicense allowing it to operate in New York. Indeed, other articles state the platform is not available in New York or Washington, but this isn't stated in the user agreement and isn't obvious on the website.

Poor English

Gate.io was originally a Chinese exchange that moved its focus when China cracked down on the crypto industry. Parts of the site are still in Chinese, and some of the English does not appear to have been checked by a native speaker. This undermines that platform and does not build user confidence. Crypto exchange terms and conditions are often difficult to read, but Gate.io's 43-page user agreement takes the biscuit. The English is better than on other parts of the site. But since one of the clauses says there's a $2 million fine for breaching the agreement, we'd like it to be typo free and easy to understand.

Not user friendly

The disadvantage of having a wealth of products is that the interface can become cluttered and unintuitive, especially for first-time users. Gate.io's website is at best busy and at worst downright confusing. It does have a wizard function to guide new users through, but the tool lacks context. Plus, the website is glitchy -- it took us several attempts over several days to complete the registration process, and the know your customer verification took over six hours.

High deposit fees

Gate.io's trading fees are in line with many other crypto platforms. However, because it only uses third parties to process fiat payments, these fees can be steep. Unlike most exchanges, it isn't possible to deposit money for free by bank transfer.

No fiat withdrawals

Gate.io does not offer a way to withdraw fiat money. This means if investors want to withdraw their fiat funds, they'd have to move the crypto to another platform that does allow cash withdrawals.

Alternatives to consider

If you want an exchange that's committed to compliance: Gemini prides itself on staying on the right side of regulators and was one of the first platforms to get New York's BitLicense. It also has a solid range of cryptos and offers a limited number of free withdrawals each month.

If you want a more beginner friendly exchange: Coinbase charges higher trading fees than Gate.io, but the interface is extremely easy to use for first-time crypto investors. It has a strong range of educational tools and investors can even earn crypto by watching videos and learning about specific assets.

Offer


Rating
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Commissions
0% commission, variable spread
$0.99-$2.99 orders under $200, 1.49% for orders over $200 (default), 0% - 0.40% (Gemini ActiveTrader)
Next Steps

How Gate.io works

Gate.io is a cryptocurrency exchange with a dizzying array of products. Not only can users buy and sell a wide range of cryptocurrencies, there are also several ways to earn interest on assets.

Here are some of the features Gate.io provides:

  • Crypto data. Market information, including a fear and panic index that shows market sentiment and levels of optimism.
  • Crypto trading. Gate.io offers spot trading, peer-to-peer trading, as well as advanced trading tools. Non-U.S. users can also access leveraged tokens and margin trading.
  • Interest earning. Earn interest by adding liquidity, loaning out your crypto, and other products. These pay higher APYs than a traditional savings account, but carry higher risks too.
  • NFT trading. Gate.io provides an NFT marketplace where users can create and trade non-fungible tokens (NFTs). NFTs are digital certificates of ownership for various items such as art, sports collectibles, music, and in-game assets.

TIP

Using leverage is risky

Margin trading and leveraged tokens are essentially a way to trade using borrowed funds. It is highly risky as you're multiplying the risk in what is already a risky investment. Before you try trading with leverage, make sure you understand the dangers. If the price changes dramatically, your funds could be liquidated, leaving you with nothing.

Depositing funds and verifying your account

Users can only deposit fiat money onto Gate.io's platform using third-party apps such as Banxa, MoonPay, or Simplex. Bank transfers are handled by a company called Legend Trading. Fees vary, and many of these third-party platforms require additional identity verification. Be aware that some have mixed reviews online, so it's worth treading carefully.

READ MORE: Best Cryptocurrency Apps and Exchanges

It is possible to deposit funds without completing the know your customer (KYC) process, but this is not advisable. You won't be able to withdraw funds until you complete the verification process. Not only does verification take time, it also isn't totally clear that U.S. citizens can use the service. As a result, it's better to jump through the hoops before you give the platform your hard-earned cash. Nobody wants to end up with assets they can't access.

It's also worth noting that Gate.io reserves the right to seize your crypto if you haven't logged into your account for two years. According to its terms and conditions, Gate.io may donate the funds to charity. If you're a buy-and-hold investor, it would be wise to store your assets elsewhere.

Fees overview

Gate.io's trading fees are neither the best nor the worst on the market. The maximum maker/taker fee of 0.2% is more than low-fee platforms like Binance or FTX, but lower than Coinbase or Gemini. However, fiat deposits can be expensive.

Gate.io fee overview

Transaction Fee
Maker/taker fee Maximum 0.2% / 0.2%
Credit/debit card deposit Varies by payment processor
Bank transfer At least 0.08%
Withdrawal fee Varies by crypto
Data source: Gate.io

There are three ways customers can reduce trading fees:

  • Paying in Gate.io's utilty token, GateToken (GT). All customers can get a 25% discount on trading fees by using the GT token.
  • Buying a package of GT Points. Users can get a discount of 30% to 70% on trading fees by buying a package of points. The lowest cost package is 200 points for $120.
  • Trading in high volumes or holding large amounts of GT. To qualify for the lowest maker/taker fees of 0.055% / 0.065%, users need to reach VIP 16. This involves trading 75,000 BTC (about $470,000) in a month or holding 50,000 GT (over $300,000).

Deposit and withdrawal fees

Like most cryptocurrency exchanges, Gate.io charges a deposit fee for fiat currency (traditional money). The deposit fee varies depending on which third party processes the payment. Gate.io's deposit fees are higher than other platforms. The withdrawal fee depends on which cryptocurrency is withdrawn, but is in line with other exchanges. It isn't possible to withdraw fiat money from the Gate.io website.

Let's say you want to buy $500 of Bitcoin (BTC) with U.S. dollars. The cost depends a lot on the deposit method. As you can see from the table below, it's good to look at both the fee and the total amount of crypto you receive. Some third-party processors offer poor exchange rates, so even if you're paying a lower fee, you may get less crypto for your cash. The fee to withdraw BTC is 0.001 BTC (about $40).

READ MORE: Best Places to Buy Bitcoin

Here are how some of the payment options work out for a $500 BTC transaction:

Processor Fee Total BTC you receive Approx $ value
Simplex $17.5 0.01236869 $475
MoonPay $22.62 0.0126 $484
mercuryo $19.00 0.01255449 $482
BANXA $9.76 0.01256156 $482
Data source: Gate.io

Cryptocurrency selection

A broad cryptocurrency selection is what makes Gate.io stand out. It trades over 1,300 cryptocurrencies on its platform, including many smaller coins and tokens that are difficult to buy elsewhere. It also accepts around 50 fiat currencies, which is more than many exchanges. This includes major currencies such as U.S. dollars, euros, Japanese yen, British pounds, Canadian dollars, and more.

Of the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market cap, only stablecoins USD Coin (USDC) and Binance USD (BUSD) are not available for spot trading. You'll find all the other top 20 such as Bitcoin, Ethereum (ETH), Binance Coin (BNB), Cardano (ADA), and Solana (SOL). It also has a wide range of cryptocurrency pairs.

It is more important than ever to do your own research when buying less established cryptocurrencies. Check things like who's in charge of the project, what its purpose is, and how many tokens will be issued. Not only are prices of smaller coins likely to be more volatile, there's also a bigger chance the coin may fail or turn out to be a scam.

Is your cryptocurrency safe with Gate.io?

Investing in cryptocurrency can be risky. Cryptocurrencies are relatively new and volatile assets, and there's a lot we don't know about how the industry will unfold. Plus, hackers often target cryptocurrency exchanges, which is why some investors prefer to move their assets to an external crypto wallet.

Gate.io checks a number of the boxes we look for in terms of security, but the platform is not perfect. Here are some key security features:

  • It keeps "most" assets offline in cold storage. It would be nice to have more transparency about what percentage of funds are kept offline.
  • External security audit. Gate.io uses professional auditing companies to test its system, as well as third party anti-malware defense.
  • User level security measures. These include two-factor authentication, account monitoring, and anti-phishing measures.

Reasons to be cautious

The lack of clarity around Gate.io's regulatory status is a big reason to tread carefully. In part, this is an issue of trust -- you have a platform that says it will fine users for not following its agreement, but then has a mismatch of information about whether they're actually allowed to trade. But the main issue is that we don't know what shape new crypto regulation will take. Sticking with exchanges that try to stay on the right side of regulators reduces the risk your funds will end up frozen on a platform you can't access.

The other risk to be aware of is the use of third-party platforms to process payments. Each one will have its own security features, its own KYC process, and its own system for handling your cash. It's unlikely something will go wrong, but it's worth checking out the processor before you transfer cash.

Finally, the Gate.io platform has been hacked in the past. In 2015, Gate.io was called BTER and over 7,000 BTC was stolen from its platform. This is not surprising given it has been going since 2013 and exchange hacks were more common in the early days of crypto.

Gate.io is right for you if:

  • You're an experienced trader who wants to access less common cryptos.
  • You already own crypto and don't need to deposit fiat currency.
  • You want to buy crypto using a fiat currency that's not widely accepted.