The wave of TradFi asset tokenization is surging. How does Gate leverage its first-mover advantage to lead the new era?

The logo of the crypto exchange appeared on Inter Milan’s jersey for the first time, and the strategic partnership poster between F1 Red Bull Racing and Gate was particularly eye-catching beside global race tracks.

Behind these cross-industry collaborations lies the grand narrative of traditional finance and digital assets accelerating integration. By February 2026, Gate’s platform registered over 49 million users, with derivatives market share soaring into the top three globally.

The Critical Point of Integration

The global financial system is undergoing a silent but profound transformation. An industry report released in early 2026 clearly states that the integration of TradFi and crypto has crossed the “critical point” and is entering an accelerated phase of “programmable finance.”

The core bottlenecks of traditional finance are increasingly evident, especially settlement efficiencies of T+1 or longer, which directly lead to high capital costs and counterparty risk accumulation. Meanwhile, blockchain technology demonstrates unique advantages: 24/7 operation, instant asset transfers, and fragmentation capabilities.

Asset tokenization is no longer limited to proof-of-concept stages; it is moving from mere issuance toward creating real “utility” in a new phase.

Paradigm Shift in Traditional Finance

When Robinhood executives explained at industry summits how they are reconstructing payment, settlement, and trading processes using blockchain technology, the direction of traditional financial transformation was already quite clear. Institutional capital is shifting from speculative assets driven by market narratives to core assets with genuine demand and predictable regulation.

Tokenization is widely believed to bring about structural rather than incremental change. But the true prerequisite for scaling is the emergence of genuine customer demand, not just technological push.

A notable sign of this transformation is that crypto exchanges are evolving into “super apps.” They are no longer just trading platforms but comprehensive financial ecosystems integrating custody, payments, yield opportunities, and on-chain services.

New Market Landscape

The tokenization market in 2026 shows clear structural features. The stablecoin market size has stabilized above $310 billion, laying a solid foundation for the entire ecosystem.

Tokenization of equity assets and commodities is becoming a new growth engine. Especially stock tokenization, which is expected to see rapid liquidity growth, with the integration of DeFi protocols serving as a key catalyst.

Market preferences for tokenized assets are also becoming clearer, with three types of RWA assets receiving particular favor from exchanges. The market is shifting from early explorations of “tokenizing everything” to focusing on specific asset classes that can offer clear functional advantages.

Key Differences Between Traditional Finance and Tokenized Finance

Gate’s Strategic Positioning

In the face of industry structural shifts, Gate demonstrates clear strategic resolve and forward-looking layout. Founded over twelve years ago, the platform is guided by founder Dr. Han’s value of “being pragmatic, not restless,” adhering to a long-term development path.

Gate’s differentiation lies in focusing on the “long tail” market of perpetual contracts, precisely targeting small and medium-cap coin traders’ hedging and investment needs. This choice has helped Gate avoid direct competition with industry giants and establish a unique market perception.

In 2025, Gate successfully supported 244 different ETF leveraged tokens, serving over 200,000 traders with an average daily trading volume of hundreds of millions of dollars. This achievement stems from Gate’s systematic ability to turn complex derivatives into user-friendly products.

Product Innovation and Transparency

In product design, Gate adopts a unique approach: mapping professional derivative positions into simple tokenized formats. For users, the experience is similar to spot trading, without the need to monitor margin maintenance or worry about sudden liquidations.

Gate introduced a unified management fee concept, consolidating all dispersed costs into a single 0.1% daily fee rate, covering hedging costs, funding rates, and potential trading frictions. This transparent fee structure significantly lowers user cognitive barriers.

Unlike traditional competitors that often treat these mechanisms as “black boxes,” Gate provides clear parameter disclosures. This transparency extends across the platform, including the use of zero-knowledge proofs and Merkle tree structures for reserve verification systems.

Global Compliance Strategy

Gate’s compliance development is not passive but a proactive strategic upgrade aligned with industry trends and its own positioning. As the crypto industry matures from rapid growth to regulation, compliance has become an inevitable path for healthy industry development.

Gate Group has established a global compliance network covering the Americas, Middle East, Europe, and Asia. Several entities have obtained or completed regulatory registration, licensing, authorization, or approval in jurisdictions such as Lithuania, Argentina, Malta, Italy, The Bahamas, Gibraltar, and Hong Kong.

In 2025, Gate acquired Japan’s licensed exchange Coin Master, further expanding its global compliance footprint. This forward-looking layout has earned Gate key institutional trust amid the wave of asset tokenization in TradFi.

Ecosystem Synergy Development

Gate is evolving from “a good professional trading platform” to “a user-centric, diversified trading ecosystem.” The platform has launched modules including on-chain derivatives, strategy tools, Web3 asset access, and AI trading assistants.

Launchpool is one of Gate’s rapidly growing product lines. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, Launchpool onboarded over 140 projects, with more than 90 projects airdropping free tokens to users, totaling over $5.2 million in airdrops.

Gate has also established a dedicated innovation zone, aggregating resources from over ten mainstream blockchains including Ethereum, Solana, and Base, with more than 1,000 tokens listed. This approach meets market demand for diverse new assets while effectively managing risk through partitioned governance.

Summary

Under the lights of Inter Milan’s stadium, Gate’s logo stands alongside the historic football club; on F1 tracks, the speed of Red Bull Racing’s cars echoes Gate’s pursuit of trading speed.

While traditional financial institutions are still exploring the theoretical frameworks of tokenization, Gate has already built an active market supporting 244 ETF leveraged tokens. When the industry discusses transparency, Gate’s zero-knowledge proof reserve verification system has been operational for some time.

Gate Wallet is evolving into a unified asset management hub, and Gate Pay continues to expand capabilities, bridging fiat and crypto channels. These seemingly disparate product innovations all point toward a common goal: becoming a key bridge connecting traditional finance with the digital future.