Audit log

Every state-changing event for Gate.io: moderation decisions on community submissions, plus corrections and updates from the news pipeline. URL-based decisions carry three independent witnesses — the original source, an Internet Archive snapshot taken at submission time, and a Solana memo signed by our publicly-disclosed publisher key.

1. #1publishby system:backfill

   2026-05-31 13:59:20Z
   Score: ? → ? (no score change)
   anchoranchored

   chain

   ●mainnet-betaslot 423,388,120

   sig

   z2rFmrd6hDZi…kXG3qjvRcopyexplorer ↗

   hash

   GQFxjPZSdbDh…sCcZVonJcopysha256 → base58

   verifying row…full verify ↗

   canonical bytes (28161 B) ▸

   {"actor":"system:backfill","investigation_id":"ba1440aa-37bd-4263-9369-af270f4a4a8d","kind":"publish","page_slug":"gateio","published_at":"2026-05-31T13:59:20.460Z","sequence_num":1,"snapshot":{"content_type":"investigation","entity_name":"Gate.io","sections":[{"content":"Gate.io was founded in April 2013 under the name Bter.com in China by Lin Han, a computer scientist holding a Ph.D. in Optics from a Canadian institution. The exchange was rebranded to Gate.io in 2017 following regulatory pressure on cryptocurrency platforms operating in China. The platform is operated by Gate Technology Inc., incorporated in the Cayman Islands. In May 2025, the company launched a new primary domain, Gate.com, alongside a logo refresh coinciding with its 12th anniversary, positioning itself as a 'next-generation crypto exchange.' Users are automatically redirected from Gate.io to Gate.com. As of 2025, the exchange claims to serve more than 52 million registered users and lists over 4,600 cryptocurrencies, ranking among the top three globally by spot trading volume according to CoinMarketCap. In August 2025, a separate U.S.-facing subsidiary, Gate US, launched spot trading in 23 states, later expanding to 30 states by January 2026, registered with FinCEN and holding state money transfer licenses.","heading":"Background and Corporate Structure","severity":"low","sources":[{"credibility":3,"name":"Gate.io History — rue.ee","type":"other","url":"https://rue.ee/blog/gate-io-history/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Gate Introduces Brand New Domain Gate.com — GlobeNewswire","type":"official","url":"https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/05/19/3083796/0/en/Gate-Introduces-Brand-New-Domain-Gate-com-and-Brand-Logo-Advancing-Toward-the-Next-Generation-Crypto-Exchange.html"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Gate US Officially Launches — GlobeNewswire","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/08/01/3126066/0/en/Gate-US-Officially-Launches-to-Offer-Secure-and-Compliant-Crypto-Trading-to-U-S-Customers.html"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Gate trade volume and listings — CoinMarketCap","type":"other","url":"https://coinmarketcap.com/exchanges/gate/"}]},{"content":"Gate.io's regulatory posture is complex and uneven across jurisdictions. The exchange holds licenses in several regions: Gate Technology Ltd is authorized as a Crypto-Asset Service Provider under MiCA by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA); Gate Securities (Cyprus) Ltd holds a CySEC license (No. 395/20) passported across 28 EEA member states; Gate Technology FZE obtained a full VASP license from Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) in April 2025; Hippo Financial Services Limited holds a TCSP license from Hong Kong's Registry for Trust and Company Service Providers; and Australian operations are registered with AUSTRAC. The exchange maintains a public licenses page listing these and additional registrations. However, a significant regulatory gap exists in the Cayman Islands, where Gate Technology Inc. is incorporated. On April 11, 2025, CIMA issued a public notice confirming that Gate.io and Gate Global Corp 'are not, and have never been, registered, licensed, regulated, or otherwise authorised' to operate under the Virtual Asset (Service Providers) Act. CIMA advised the public to exercise caution regarding representations made by Gate.io about its Cayman Islands regulatory status. The exchange is blocked or restricted in numerous jurisdictions including the United States (for the main Gate.io platform, not Gate US), Spain, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, where it has not obtained required authorizations.","heading":"Regulatory Status and Licensing","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"Gate.io and Gate Global Corp Not Registered With CIMA — CIMA Official Notice","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.cima.ky/gateio-and-gate-global-corp-not-registered-with-cima"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CIMA Disavows Gate.io and Gate Global Corp — Cayman Independent","type":"news_article","url":"https://caymanindependent.com/cima-disavows-gate-io-and-gate-global-corp/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Legal Licenses, Registrations, and Regulatory Compliance — Gate.com","type":"official","url":"https://www.gate.com/gategroup/legal/licenses"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Gate Launches New License Webpage — Gate.com Announcements","type":"official","url":"https://www.gate.com/announcements/article/37702"},{"credibility":3,"name":"Gate Supported and Restricted Countries — Datawallet","type":"other","url":"https://www.datawallet.com/crypto/gate-io-countries"}]},{"content":"On or around April 18–21, 2018, Gate.io allegedly suffered a major security breach resulting in the theft of approximately $230 million in digital assets, including 10,777.94 BTC, 218,790 ETH, 23,783 ZEC, 99,999,000 DOGE, 3,043,268 XRP, 11,000 LTC, and 175,866 ETC. On-chain researchers ZachXBT and Austin (handle @1A1zP1) published findings in November 2022 tracing the stolen funds and alleging that Gate.io never disclosed the breach to customers or the public. ZachXBT attributed the hack to North Korean state-affiliated actors who targeted Gate.io as part of a broader campaign against crypto exchanges — a campaign estimated to have raised up to $2 billion across multiple exchanges including YouBit, UpBit, and Bithumb. When confronted with these findings, Gate.io reportedly dismissed concerns, stating the platform has 'many built-in mechanisms' protecting user assets. CEO Lin Han did not provide a substantive public response acknowledging the alleged concealment. Gate.io has not publicly confirmed or denied the $230 million figure or the alleged non-disclosure.","heading":"2018 Hack — Alleged Undisclosed $230 Million Breach","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"ZachXBT Calls Out Gate.io for Keeping 2018 Hack Under Wraps — CryptoSlate","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptoslate.com/zachxbt-calls-out-gate-io-for-keeping-2018-hack-under-wraps/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Gate.io Hacked for $230M in April 2018 Without Disclosure, Says ZachXBT — TokenInsight","type":"news_article","url":"https://tokeninsight.com/en/news/gate.io-hacked-for-230m-in-april-2018-without-disclosure-says-zachxbt"},{"credibility":2,"name":"ZachXBT Slams Gate.io For Not Disclosing 2018 Hack — Investing.com / CoinEdition","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.investing.com/news/cryptocurrency-news/zachxbt-slams-gateio-for-not-disclosing-2018-hack-behind-230m-loss-2945842"},{"credibility":2,"name":"North Korean Hackers Move $3.2M from Gate.io 2018 Hack — CryptoSlate","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptoslate.com/north-korean-hackers-move-3-2m-from-gate-io-2018-hack/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Has Gate.io Swept a Major Security Breach Under the Rug? — 99Bitcoins","type":"news_article","url":"https://99bitcoins.com/news/has-gate-io-swept-a-major-security-breach-under-the-rug/"}]},{"content":"In February 2015, when the exchange was operating under the Bter.com brand, it disclosed the theft of approximately 7,170 BTC (valued at roughly $1.75 million at the time) from what the company described as a cold wallet. Subsequent analysis noted that Bter's cold wallet was stored on a managed server rather than being fully air-gapped, and was protected by a single private key rather than a multi-signature arrangement. BTER shut down its platform temporarily and committed to repaying affected users over time from trading profits and with a 1,000 BTC loan from a partner. ZachXBT and on-chain analyst Austin noted that Gate.io reused wallet address clusters from the Bter era in later operations, a pattern they cited as contributing to the alleged 2018 breach.","heading":"2015 Bter Cold Wallet Hack","severity":"medium","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"BTER Claims $1.75 Million in Bitcoin Stolen in Cold Wallet Hack — CoinDesk","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2015/02/15/bter-claims-175-million-in-bitcoin-stolen-in-cold-wallet-hack"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Feb 2015 — BTER Bitcoin Heist — QuadrigaInitiative","type":"other","url":"https://quadrigainitiative.com/casestudy/btercoldwallethack.php"}]},{"content":"On November 3, 2018, attackers compromised StatCounter, a web analytics platform used by over two million websites including Gate.io. The attackers injected malicious JavaScript into StatCounter's tracking script. The code was specifically targeted at Gate.io: it checked for the URI path associated with Gate.io's Bitcoin withdrawal page (myaccount/withdraw/BTC) and silently replaced the user's destination Bitcoin withdrawal address with an attacker-controlled address. Security firm ESET discovered the breach on November 6, 2018, and notified both StatCounter and Gate.io. Gate.io removed StatCounter from its platform on the same day. Gate.io stated that 'users' funds are safe' but did not confirm or deny losses affecting users who performed BTC withdrawals between November 3 and 6.","heading":"2018 StatCounter Supply Chain Attack","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"Supply-chain attack on cryptocurrency exchange gate.io — ESET WeLiveSecurity","type":"research","url":"https://www.welivesecurity.com/2018/11/06/supply-chain-attack-cryptocurrency-exchange-gate-io/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Attackers Breached StatCounter to Steal Cryptocurrency from Gate.io Users — Help Net Security","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2018/11/07/statcounter-gate-io-compromised/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"StatCounter Analytics Code Hijacked to Steal Bitcoins — The Hacker News","type":"news_article","url":"https://thehackernews.com/2018/11/statcounter-cryptocurrency-cyberattack.html"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Crypto Exchange Gate.io Removes StatCounter Service — CoinTelegraph","type":"news_article","url":"https://cointelegraph.com/news/crypto-exchange-gateio-removes-statcounter-service-following-report-of-security-breach"}]},{"content":"On January 7, 2019, the Ethereum Classic (ETC) blockchain suffered a 51% attack. An attacker acquired majority hashing power and executed a series of blockchain reorganizations to double-spend ETC tokens. Gate.io, which had processed ETC deposits during the attack window (approximately 00:40–04:20 UTC), confirmed losses of approximately 54,200 ETC (valued at roughly $200,000 at the time). The attacker deposited ETC, exchanged it for other assets, withdrew those assets, and then used the reorganized blockchain to invalidate the original ETC deposit transactions. In an unusual development, a portion of the stolen funds — approximately $100,000 worth of ETC — was returned to Gate.io, leading the exchange to speculate the attacker may have been a white-hat researcher rather than a profit-motivated criminal. Gate.io publicly confirmed the attack and its losses.","heading":"2019 Ethereum Classic 51% Attack","severity":"medium","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Ethereum Classic Hacker Stole 54,200 ETC from Crypto Exchange Gate.io — CCN","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.ccn.com/ethereum-classic-hacker-stole-54200-etc-from-crypto-exchange-gate-io/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Ethereum Classic 51% Attackers Return $100,000 to Crypto Exchange Gate.io — CryptoGlobe","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cryptoglobe.com/latest/2019/01/ethereum-classic-51-attackers-return-100000-to-crypto-exchange-gate-io/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Gate.io Confirms ETC Suffered 51% Attack — ChainBits","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.chainbits.com/news/gate-io-confirms-etc-suffered-51-attack/"}]},{"content":"In June 2025, Gate.io faced widespread allegations from users regarding its $LA perpetual futures contract. According to user reports and complaint aggregators, Gate.io's futures price index for $LA incorporated data from a low-liquidity source, which caused the Gate.io futures price to spike approximately 40 times above the prevailing spot market price — from approximately $0.60 to $25 — within minutes. This spike allegedly triggered mass liquidations of users who had taken moderate leverage positions (e.g., 5x–10x). Affected users collectively estimated losses exceeding $10 million. Gate.io reportedly acknowledged abnormal price behavior but declined to compensate affected traders, stating that the liquidations 'worked according to the rules.' Individual loss reports cited in user complaint platforms ranged from approximately $1,500 to over $22,600. No independent regulatory investigation or court filing regarding this incident has been identified as of the investigation date. These allegations originate primarily from user complaint platforms (Tier 3 sources) and should be treated as low confidence pending further verification.","heading":"2025 $LA Futures Incident","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":3,"name":"Gate.io Account Locking Review — CyberCriminal.com","type":"community_report","url":"https://www.cybercriminal.com/132819/gate-io-account-locking-review"},{"credibility":3,"name":"Gate.io Reviews — Trustpilot","type":"community_report","url":"https://www.trustpilot.com/review/gate.io"}]},{"content":"Gate.io has maintained a monthly proof-of-reserves (PoR) program since at least 2020, when it became one of the first exchanges to use a combination of Merkle trees and third-party auditing. Following the collapse of FTX in November 2022, the exchange made its PoR implementation open-source on GitHub. In January 2024, security auditor Hacken completed a review of Gate.io's PoR methodology and found no severe issues. As of October 2024, Gate.io's published reserves totaled $6.499 billion, with a reserve ratio of 120.22% and $1.093 billion in excess reserves over user deposits. By January 2025, reserves were reported to have surpassed $10 billion with a 128.58% reserve ratio and $2.3 billion in excess funds. The PoR system uses ZK-SNARK proofs for individual user verification and covers more than 209 assets. Independent user verification is supported via the GitHub repository. Limitations include the fact that Hacken, as a for-pay auditor engaged by Gate.io, is not a fully independent party, and that PoR reports do not assess platform liabilities beyond user deposits.","heading":"Proof of Reserves and Transparency","severity":"low","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Gate.io's Proof of Reserves Implementation Passes Hacken's Security Audit — GlobeNewswire","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/01/22/2813210/0/en/Gate-io-s-Proof-of-Reserves-Implementation-Passes-Hackens-Security-Audit.html"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Gate.io Releases October 2024 Proof of Reserves Report — BeInCrypto","type":"news_article","url":"https://beincrypto.com/gate-io-releases-october-2024-proof-of-reserves-report/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Gate.io Reserves Surpass $10B — GlobeNewswire","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/01/22/3013269/0/en/Gate-io-Reserves-Surpass-10B-with-2-3B-Surplus-and-128-58-Ratio.html"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Proof of Reserves GitHub Repository — Gate.io","type":"official","url":"https://github.com/gateio/proof-of-reserves"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Gate Proof-of-Reserves Assessment Report — Gate.com","type":"official","url":"https://www.gate.com/proof-of-reserves"}]},{"content":"Gate.io has received a sustained volume of user complaints regarding account freezes, blocked withdrawals, and unresponsive customer support. Complaint patterns documented on Trustpilot (rated 1.3/5 from over 1,000 reviews as of 2025) and other consumer complaint platforms include: accounts frozen for periods exceeding 141 days with no stated reason; withdrawal requests that remain pending indefinitely; accounts flagged after passing KYC verification; funds showing as transferred on Gate.io's interface but failing to arrive at destination exchanges. Gate.io's responses to many complaints cite ongoing investigations or vague references to Terms of Service violations without specifying the alleged infraction. The source tier for these complaints is predominantly Tier 3 (user-generated reviews and consumer complaint boards), and the claims have not been independently verified. No regulatory enforcement action specifically targeting these practices has been identified.","heading":"User Complaints — Account Freezes and Withdrawal Issues","severity":"medium","sources":[{"credibility":3,"name":"Gate.io Reviews — Trustpilot","type":"community_report","url":"https://www.trustpilot.com/review/gate.io"},{"credibility":3,"name":"Gate.io Withdrawal Issues — Xolvie/Sikayetvar","type":"community_report","url":"https://www.sikayetvar.com/en/gateio-us"}]},{"content":"GateToken (GT) is the native token of the Gate.io platform and its associated GateChain blockchain. GT debuted in 2019 and was adopted as Gate's official platform token on March 2, 2020. It was launched without a private sale, ICO, or institutional funding round. The original maximum supply was set at 1 billion GT, with 700 million burned at launch, leaving a hard cap of 300 million. Gate.io directs 20% of platform profits toward quarterly GT buybacks and burns. As of Q1 2026, over 187 million GT (approximately 62.46% of the 300 million cap) had been burned. GT provides trading fee discounts, VIP tier access, and participation in launchpad events on Gate.io, and serves as the gas token for GateChain transactions and validator staking.","heading":"GateToken (GT) Native Token","severity":"low","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"What Is GateToken (GT) And How Does It Work? — CoinMarketCap","type":"other","url":"https://coinmarketcap.com/cmc-ai/gatetoken/what-is/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"GateToken — Gate.com","type":"official","url":"https://www.gate.com/gt"},{"credibility":2,"name":"GateChain's Native Asset GT — Gate.io Blog","type":"official","url":"https://www.gate.io/blog_detail/749/gatechain-s-native-asset-gt-gatetoken"}]}],"sources_used":[{"credibility":1,"name":"Gate.io and Gate Global Corp Not Registered With CIMA — CIMA Official","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.cima.ky/gateio-and-gate-global-corp-not-registered-with-cima"},{"credibility":1,"name":"BTER Claims $1.75 Million in Bitcoin Stolen in Cold Wallet Hack — CoinDesk","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2015/02/15/bter-claims-175-million-in-bitcoin-stolen-in-cold-wallet-hack"},{"credibility":1,"name":"Supply-chain attack on cryptocurrency exchange gate.io — ESET WeLiveSecurity","type":"research","url":"https://www.welivesecurity.com/2018/11/06/supply-chain-attack-cryptocurrency-exchange-gate-io/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"ZachXBT Calls Out Gate.io for Keeping 2018 Hack Under Wraps — CryptoSlate","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptoslate.com/zachxbt-calls-out-gate-io-for-keeping-2018-hack-under-wraps/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Gate.io Hacked for $230M in April 2018 Without Disclosure, Says ZachXBT — TokenInsight","type":"news_article","url":"https://tokeninsight.com/en/news/gate.io-hacked-for-230m-in-april-2018-without-disclosure-says-zachxbt"},{"credibility":2,"name":"North Korean Hackers Move $3.2M from Gate.io 2018 Hack — CryptoSlate","type":"news_article","url":"https://cryptoslate.com/north-korean-hackers-move-3-2m-from-gate-io-2018-hack/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Ethereum Classic Hacker Stole 54,200 ETC from Crypto Exchange Gate.io — CCN","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.ccn.com/ethereum-classic-hacker-stole-54200-etc-from-crypto-exchange-gate-io/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Ethereum Classic 51% Attackers Return $100,000 to Crypto Exchange Gate.io — CryptoGlobe","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cryptoglobe.com/latest/2019/01/ethereum-classic-51-attackers-return-100000-to-crypto-exchange-gate-io/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Gate.io's Proof of Reserves Implementation Passes Hacken's Security Audit — GlobeNewswire","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/01/22/2813210/0/en/Gate-io-s-Proof-of-Reserves-Implementation-Passes-Hackens-Security-Audit.html"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Gate.io Releases October 2024 Proof of Reserves Report — BeInCrypto","type":"news_article","url":"https://beincrypto.com/gate-io-releases-october-2024-proof-of-reserves-report/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Gate.io Reserves Surpass $10B — GlobeNewswire","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/01/22/3013269/0/en/Gate-io-Reserves-Surpass-10B-with-2-3B-Surplus-and-128-58-Ratio.html"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CIMA Disavows Gate.io and Gate Global Corp — Cayman Independent","type":"news_article","url":"https://caymanindependent.com/cima-disavows-gate-io-and-gate-global-corp/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Gate Introduces Brand New Domain Gate.com — GlobeNewswire","type":"official","url":"https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/05/19/3083796/0/en/Gate-Introduces-Brand-New-Domain-Gate-com-and-Brand-Logo-Advancing-Toward-the-Next-Generation-Crypto-Exchange.html"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Gate US Officially Launches — GlobeNewswire","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/08/01/3126066/0/en/Gate-US-Officially-Launches-to-Offer-Secure-and-Compliant-Crypto-Trading-to-U-S-Customers.html"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Attackers Breached StatCounter to Steal Cryptocurrency from Gate.io Users — Help Net Security","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2018/11/07/statcounter-gate-io-compromised/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"StatCounter Analytics Code Hijacked to Steal Bitcoins — The Hacker News","type":"news_article","url":"https://thehackernews.com/2018/11/statcounter-cryptocurrency-cyberattack.html"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Proof of Reserves GitHub Repository — Gate.io","type":"official","url":"https://github.com/gateio/proof-of-reserves"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Gate trade volume and listings — CoinMarketCap","type":"other","url":"https://coinmarketcap.com/exchanges/gate/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"ZachXBT Slams Gate.io For Not Disclosing 2018 Hack — Investing.com","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.investing.com/news/cryptocurrency-news/zachxbt-slams-gateio-for-not-disclosing-2018-hack-behind-230m-loss-2945842"},{"credibility":3,"name":"Gate.io Reviews — Trustpilot","type":"community_report","url":"https://www.trustpilot.com/review/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).","timeline":[{"date":"2013-04-01","event":"Lin Han founds Bter.com in China, one of the earliest altcoin exchanges","source":"Gate.io History — rue.ee","source_url":"https://rue.ee/blog/gate-io-history/"},{"date":"2015-02-01","event":"Bter.com loses approximately 7,170 BTC (~$1.75M) in a cold wallet breach; platform temporarily shuts down and commits to repaying users","source":"BTER Claims $1.75 Million in Bitcoin Stolen — CoinDesk","source_url":"https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2015/02/15/bter-claims-175-million-in-bitcoin-stolen-in-cold-wallet-hack"},{"date":"2017-01-01","event":"Platform rebrands from Bter.com to Gate.io and relocates to the Cayman Islands following Chinese cryptocurrency regulatory restrictions","source":"Gate.io History — rue.ee","source_url":"https://rue.ee/blog/gate-io-history/"},{"date":"2018-04-21","event":"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)","source":"ZachXBT Calls Out Gate.io for Keeping 2018 Hack Under Wraps — CryptoSlate","source_url":"https://cryptoslate.com/zachxbt-calls-out-gate-io-for-keeping-2018-hack-under-wraps/"},{"date":"2018-11-03","event":"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","source":"Supply-chain attack on cryptocurrency exchange gate.io — ESET WeLiveSecurity","source_url":"https://www.welivesecurity.com/2018/11/06/supply-chain-attack-cryptocurrency-exchange-gate-io/"},{"date":"2019-01-07","event":"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","source":"Ethereum Classic Hacker Stole 54,200 ETC from Crypto Exchange Gate.io — CCN","source_url":"https://www.ccn.com/ethereum-classic-hacker-stole-54200-etc-from-crypto-exchange-gate-io/"},{"date":"2020-03-02","event":"GateToken (GT) officially adopted as Gate.io's platform token; launched without ICO or private sale","source":"GateToken Guide — BeInCrypto","source_url":"https://beincrypto.com/learn/gatetoken-guide/"},{"date":"2022-11-01","event":"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","source":"ZachXBT Calls Out Gate.io — CryptoSlate","source_url":"https://cryptoslate.com/zachxbt-calls-out-gate-io-for-keeping-2018-hack-under-wraps/"},{"date":"2024-01-22","event":"Security firm Hacken completes audit of Gate.io's proof-of-reserves methodology, finding no severe issues","source":"Gate.io's Proof of Reserves Implementation Passes Hacken's Security Audit — GlobeNewswire","source_url":"https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/01/22/2813210/0/en/Gate-io-s-Proof-of-Reserves-Implementation-Passes-Hackens-Security-Audit.html"},{"date":"2025-04-01","event":"Gate Technology FZE obtains full VASP license from Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA)","source":"Legal Licenses, Registrations, and Regulatory Compliance — Gate.com","source_url":"https://www.gate.com/gategroup/legal/licenses"},{"date":"2025-04-11","event":"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","source":"Gate.io and Gate Global Corp Not Registered With CIMA — CIMA Official","source_url":"https://www.cima.ky/gateio-and-gate-global-corp-not-registered-with-cima"},{"date":"2025-05-19","event":"Gate.io launches new primary domain Gate.com and redesigned logo as part of a global rebranding coinciding with its 12th anniversary","source":"Gate Introduces Brand New Domain Gate.com — GlobeNewswire","source_url":"https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/05/19/3083796/0/en/Gate-Introduces-Brand-New-Domain-Gate-com-and-Brand-Logo-Advancing-Toward-the-Next-Generation-Crypto-Exchange.html"},{"date":"2025-06-01","event":"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","source":"Gate.io Account Locking Review — CyberCriminal.com (Tier 3)","source_url":"https://www.cybercriminal.com/132819/gate-io-account-locking-review"},{"date":"2025-08-01","event":"Gate US subsidiary launches licensed spot trading in 23 U.S. states, registered with FinCEN; expands to 30 states by January 2026","source":"Gate US Officially Launches — GlobeNewswire","source_url":"https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/08/01/3126066/0/en/Gate-US-Officially-Launches-to-Offer-Secure-and-Compliant-Crypto-Trading-to-U-S-Customers.html"}]},"v":1}

   Verify offline (run on your own machine)

   python -m src.verify_decision 9acbf316-19dc-4a30-aa99-7a99221a5ed0copy
2. #2reviewby reviewerreviewer

   2026-06-13 21:58:57Z
   Score: 42 → 42 (no score change)
   The Gate.io investigation page is largely accurate on verifiable facts — regulatory filings, hack amounts, reserve figures, and tokenomics are all well-supported by cited sources. The most significant factual issue is the treatment of the $LA futures incident: the page states Gate.io 'declined to compensate' affected traders but omits that Gate.io publicly committed approximately $30 million to cover negative-balance holders. The ETC 51% attack dollar loss is also understated ($200K vs. approximately $271.5K across multiple sources). The FinCEN registration claim for Gate US is unverified by the cited source. One CoinTelegraph URL returned a 404.
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   ●mainnet-betaslot 426,285,089

   sig

   4Rh3ACEjHe77…EkAP2JYzcopyexplorer ↗

   hash

   6mZJqhvfKPR2…ZX5uQtPycopysha256 → base58

   verifying row…full verify ↗

   canonical bytes (996 B) ▸

   {"actor":"reviewer","decided_at":"2026-06-13T21:58:57.796Z","decision":"review","investigation_id":"ba1440aa-37bd-4263-9369-af270f4a4a8d","new_score":42,"page_slug":"gateio","prev_score":42,"reason":"The Gate.io investigation page is largely accurate on verifiable facts — regulatory filings, hack amounts, reserve figures, and tokenomics are all well-supported by cited sources. The most significant factual issue is the treatment of the $LA futures incident: the page states Gate.io 'declined to compensate' affected traders but omits that Gate.io publicly committed approximately $30 million to cover negative-balance holders. The ETC 51% attack dollar loss is also understated ($200K vs. approximately $271.5K across multiple sources). The FinCEN registration claim for Gate US is unverified by the cited source. One CoinTelegraph URL returned a 404.","score_delta":0,"sequence_num":2,"submission_content_hash":null,"submission_id":null,"submission_kind":null,"submission_valence":null,"v":1}

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   python -m src.verify_decision 794c9ff1-0b9d-4639-b169-2919bdb0d7c9copy
3. #3review reviseby judgejudge

   2026-06-13 21:58:58Z
   Score: 42 → 30 (-12)
   21 of 29 claims are confirmed; 6 are partially supported and 0 are directly disputed, placing disputed_pct at approximately 21% (10–30% band). The most material issue is claim_findings[22–23]: the page states Gate.io 'declined to compensate' traders following the June 2025 $LA futures price spike, but multiple independent sources confirm Gate.io publicly committed approximately $30 million to cover negative-balance holders — a significant omission that materially misrepresents the exchange's documented response. Secondary issues include an understated dollar value in the ETC 51% attack ($200K reported vs. ~$271.5K across sources, claim_findings[20]) and an unverified FinCEN registration claim for Gate US (claim_findings[6]). Three high-priority coverage gaps — including the $LA incident's regulatory follow-up, unverified jurisdiction-blocking orders, and the secondhand basis for the $230M hack claim — push the penalty toward the upper end of the minor band.
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   ●mainnet-betaslot 426,285,096

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   4RqCkZs4rCie…XAHV1x2Ncopyexplorer ↗

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   G9NRzJnNrJjw…UeGU8sVccopysha256 → base58

   verifying row…full verify ↗

   canonical bytes (1319 B) ▸

   {"actor":"judge","decided_at":"2026-06-13T21:58:57.796Z","decision":"review_revise","investigation_id":"ba1440aa-37bd-4263-9369-af270f4a4a8d","new_score":30,"page_slug":"gateio","prev_score":42,"reason":"21 of 29 claims are confirmed; 6 are partially supported and 0 are directly disputed, placing disputed_pct at approximately 21% (10–30% band). The most material issue is claim_findings[22–23]: the page states Gate.io 'declined to compensate' traders following the June 2025 $LA futures price spike, but multiple independent sources confirm Gate.io publicly committed approximately $30 million to cover negative-balance holders — a significant omission that materially misrepresents the exchange's documented response. Secondary issues include an understated dollar value in the ETC 51% attack ($200K reported vs. ~$271.5K across sources, claim_findings[20]) and an unverified FinCEN registration claim for Gate US (claim_findings[6]). Three high-priority coverage gaps — including the $LA incident's regulatory follow-up, unverified jurisdiction-blocking orders, and the secondhand basis for the $230M hack claim — push the penalty toward the upper end of the minor band.","score_delta":-12,"sequence_num":3,"submission_content_hash":null,"submission_id":null,"submission_kind":null,"submission_valence":null,"v":1}

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   python -m src.verify_decision ab4dfe23-de80-440b-a5ad-4621f88cfac3copy
4. #4reviewby reviewerreviewer

   2026-06-14 23:15:50Z
   Score: 30 → 30 (no score change)
   Blue-chip calibration review (Prompt A). Verdict: over-penalized. Page content is treated as accurate; the trust_score band is miscalibrated. Gate.io (now Gate.com) is a legitimate, top-5 global cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2013 with over 27-50 million users and active regulatory licenses from VARA (Dubai), MiCA/MFSA (Malta), CySEC, and AUSTRAC. The incidents driving the WARNING score are predominantly third-party attacks: the 2018 $234M Lazarus Group hack was a nation-state cyber attack against Gate.io, not a fraud committed by Gate.io; the 2018 StatCounter incident was a third-party supply-chain attack targeting Gate.io's users via an external analytics vendor; and the 2019 ETC loss was caused by a blockchain-level 51% attack on Ethereum Classic, for which Gate.io compensated users. The $LA futures incident (June 2025) involved a price feed infrastructure failure for which Gate.io paid $30M+ in compensation — consistent with operational negligence, not intentional fraud. The CIMA notice is a real and material concern (misrepresentation of regulatory domicile), and withdrawal freeze complaints are sustained and credible. However, no confirmed fraud, exit scam, Ponzi mechanics, or criminal conviction exists. Under post-policy-decision band semantics, the WARNING band (20-49) is reserved for elevated fraud/loss risk or unresolved severe incidents; a CAUTIONARY band (50-69) covering legitimate operators with material caveats is more appropriate given Gate.io's active multi-jurisdiction licensing, consistent proof-of-reserves (115-123% ratio, Hacken-audited), and status as a hack victim rather than fraudster. A score of 57 reflects the real concerns — CIMA misrepresentation, sustained withdrawal complaints, non-disclosure of the 2018 hack, and the $LA futures failure — while correctly not penalizing the exchange for being the victim of external attacks.
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   ●mainnet-betaslot 426,514,324

   sig

   4NLHDRqovPKX…k6nLPWVScopyexplorer ↗

   hash

   7nKxcoBqBnSQ…iCZupaS6copysha256 → base58

   verifying row…full verify ↗

   canonical bytes (2230 B) ▸

   {"actor":"reviewer","decided_at":"2026-06-14T23:15:50.178Z","decision":"review","investigation_id":"ba1440aa-37bd-4263-9369-af270f4a4a8d","new_score":30,"page_slug":"gateio","prev_score":30,"reason":"Blue-chip calibration review (Prompt A). Verdict: over-penalized. Page content is treated as accurate; the trust_score band is miscalibrated. Gate.io (now Gate.com) is a legitimate, top-5 global cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2013 with over 27-50 million users and active regulatory licenses from VARA (Dubai), MiCA/MFSA (Malta), CySEC, and AUSTRAC. The incidents driving the WARNING score are predominantly third-party attacks: the 2018 $234M Lazarus Group hack was a nation-state cyber attack against Gate.io, not a fraud committed by Gate.io; the 2018 StatCounter incident was a third-party supply-chain attack targeting Gate.io's users via an external analytics vendor; and the 2019 ETC loss was caused by a blockchain-level 51% attack on Ethereum Classic, for which Gate.io compensated users. The $LA futures incident (June 2025) involved a price feed infrastructure failure for which Gate.io paid $30M+ in compensation — consistent with operational negligence, not intentional fraud. The CIMA notice is a real and material concern (misrepresentation of regulatory domicile), and withdrawal freeze complaints are sustained and credible. However, no confirmed fraud, exit scam, Ponzi mechanics, or criminal conviction exists. Under post-policy-decision band semantics, the WARNING band (20-49) is reserved for elevated fraud/loss risk or unresolved severe incidents; a CAUTIONARY band (50-69) covering legitimate operators with material caveats is more appropriate given Gate.io's active multi-jurisdiction licensing, consistent proof-of-reserves (115-123% ratio, Hacken-audited), and status as a hack victim rather than fraudster. A score of 57 reflects the real concerns — CIMA misrepresentation, sustained withdrawal complaints, non-disclosure of the 2018 hack, and the $LA futures failure — while correctly not penalizing the exchange for being the victim of external attacks.","score_delta":0,"sequence_num":4,"submission_content_hash":null,"submission_id":null,"submission_kind":null,"submission_valence":null,"v":1}

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   python -m src.verify_decision 72f47e01-a626-47b0-beb7-27d0d8ec624ccopy
5. #5review approveby judgejudge

   2026-06-14 23:15:50Z
   Score: 30 → 57 (+27)
   This calibration review found 0% of claims disputed — all six claim_findings[0–5] are supported. The review establishes that Gate.io's current WARNING-band score of 30 is miscalibrated because the incidents driving the penalty are predominantly external attacks suffered by Gate.io (2018 Lazarus Group hack confirmed by ZachXBT and DOJ attribution, 2018 StatCounter supply-chain compromise, 2019 ETC 51% blockchain attack) rather than fraud or negligence originating with the exchange itself. Remaining real concerns — the CIMA regulatory misrepresentation notice (claim_findings[4]), sustained withdrawal complaints, and the June 2025 $LA futures infrastructure failure (claim_findings[5], for which Gate.io paid over $30M in user compensation) — are accurately documented on the page and appropriately justify a CAUTIONARY rather than WARNING placement. No fraud, exit scam, Ponzi mechanics, or criminal conviction was identified. A score of 57 in the CAUTIONARY band (50–69) correctly reflects material operational and regulatory caveats while not penalizing Gate.io for being the target of external attacks. The page content is accurate and remains published.
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   ●mainnet-betaslot 426,514,329

   sig

   4HSMPsiqAYL4…PzuU9P6bcopyexplorer ↗

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   Ffa9behHf9td…Zp6Lgxwrcopysha256 → base58

   verifying row…full verify ↗

   canonical bytes (1511 B) ▸

   {"actor":"judge","decided_at":"2026-06-14T23:15:50.178Z","decision":"review_approve","investigation_id":"ba1440aa-37bd-4263-9369-af270f4a4a8d","new_score":57,"page_slug":"gateio","prev_score":30,"reason":"This calibration review found 0% of claims disputed — all six claim_findings[0–5] are supported. The review establishes that Gate.io's current WARNING-band score of 30 is miscalibrated because the incidents driving the penalty are predominantly external attacks suffered by Gate.io (2018 Lazarus Group hack confirmed by ZachXBT and DOJ attribution, 2018 StatCounter supply-chain compromise, 2019 ETC 51% blockchain attack) rather than fraud or negligence originating with the exchange itself. Remaining real concerns — the CIMA regulatory misrepresentation notice (claim_findings[4]), sustained withdrawal complaints, and the June 2025 $LA futures infrastructure failure (claim_findings[5], for which Gate.io paid over $30M in user compensation) — are accurately documented on the page and appropriately justify a CAUTIONARY rather than WARNING placement. No fraud, exit scam, Ponzi mechanics, or criminal conviction was identified. A score of 57 in the CAUTIONARY band (50–69) correctly reflects material operational and regulatory caveats while not penalizing Gate.io for being the target of external attacks. The page content is accurate and remains published.","score_delta":27,"sequence_num":5,"submission_content_hash":null,"submission_id":null,"submission_kind":null,"submission_valence":null,"v":1}

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   python -m src.verify_decision 408f3d4b-2e66-438c-bacc-ac7ff73bab8ccopy