Gate.io
Summary
Gate.io (rebranded to Gate.com in May 2025) is a major global cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2013 as Bter.com by Lin Han, currently incorporated in the Cayman Islands and serving over 52 million users across more than 4,600 assets. The exchange has faced significant scrutiny including an alleged undisclosed $230 million hack in 2018 attributed to North Korean state actors, a 2025 public notice from the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) confirming it has never been licensed in its ostensible home jurisdiction, and a pattern of user complaints regarding account freezes, withdrawal blocks, and a disputed $LA futures incident in 2025. The exchange publishes monthly proof-of-reserves reports audited by Hacken and holds licenses in several jurisdictions including Malta (MiCA), Dubai (VARA), Cyprus (CySEC), and Australia (AUSTRAC).
Connected Entities
1 entities · 10 linked investigations- + 4 more
Timeline(14 events)
2013-04-01
Lin Han founds Bter.com in China, one of the earliest altcoin exchanges
Gate.io History — rue.ee2015-02-01
Bter.com loses approximately 7,170 BTC (~$1.75M) in a cold wallet breach; platform temporarily shuts down and commits to repaying users
BTER Claims $1.75 Million in Bitcoin Stolen — CoinDesk2017-01-01
Platform rebrands from Bter.com to Gate.io and relocates to the Cayman Islands following Chinese cryptocurrency regulatory restrictions
Gate.io History — rue.ee2018-04-21
Alleged $230 million hack of Gate.io by North Korean state-affiliated actors; exchange allegedly did not disclose the breach to customers (findings published by ZachXBT in November 2022)
ZachXBT Calls Out Gate.io for Keeping 2018 Hack Under Wraps — CryptoSlate2018-11-03
Attackers compromise StatCounter analytics platform and inject a Bitcoin address-substitution script targeting Gate.io withdrawal pages; ESET discovers and reports the breach on November 6
Supply-chain attack on cryptocurrency exchange gate.io — ESET WeLiveSecurity2019-01-07
Ethereum Classic (ETC) suffers a 51% attack; Gate.io loses approximately 54,200 ETC (~$200,000); partial restitution of ~$100,000 in ETC subsequently returned by attacker
Ethereum Classic Hacker Stole 54,200 ETC from Crypto Exchange Gate.io — CCN2020-03-02
GateToken (GT) officially adopted as Gate.io's platform token; launched without ICO or private sale
GateToken Guide — BeInCrypto2022-11-01
ZachXBT publishes on-chain findings alleging Gate.io concealed a $230 million hack from April 2018; Gate.io declines to substantively acknowledge the alleged non-disclosure
ZachXBT Calls Out Gate.io — CryptoSlate2024-01-22
Security firm Hacken completes audit of Gate.io's proof-of-reserves methodology, finding no severe issues
Gate.io's Proof of Reserves Implementation Passes Hacken's Security Audit — GlobeNewswire2025-04-01
Gate Technology FZE obtains full VASP license from Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA)
Legal Licenses, Registrations, and Regulatory Compliance — Gate.com2025-04-11
Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) issues a public notice stating Gate.io and Gate Global Corp have never been licensed or authorized to operate in or from the Cayman Islands
Gate.io and Gate Global Corp Not Registered With CIMA — CIMA Official2025-05-19
Gate.io launches new primary domain Gate.com and redesigned logo as part of a global rebranding coinciding with its 12th anniversary
Gate Introduces Brand New Domain Gate.com — GlobeNewswire2025-06-01
Alleged $LA futures incident: thousands of users claim liquidations driven by an anomalous 40x price spike on Gate.io's futures index for the $LA token; exchange declines to compensate affected traders
Gate.io Account Locking Review — CyberCriminal.com (Tier 3)2025-08-01
Gate US subsidiary launches licensed spot trading in 23 U.S. states, registered with FinCEN; expands to 30 states by January 2026
Gate US Officially Launches — GlobeNewswireDecision Log
- hash: GQFxjPZSdbDhazNG6sPMaEeScyVnq4s8xXNzsCcZVonJ
This investigation is cryptographically anchored to the Solana blockchain and source URLs are archived via the Internet Archive.
model: claude-sonnet-4-6
generated: 5/31/2026, 1:59:15 PM
last updated: 5/31/2026, 1:59:20 PM
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