Han Lin Shares Gate.io's Entrepreneurial Journey, Platform Strategic Evolution, and Industry Insights

In this interview, Gate Exchange founder Han Lin shared his entrepreneurial journey, platform strategic evolution, and industry insights with Wu Says

Author: Wu Says Blockchain

In this interview with Wu Blockchain founder Colin Wu, Gate Exchange founder Han Lin shared his entrepreneurial journey, platform strategic evolution, and industry insights.

After earning a PhD in Optoelectronics from Canada, Han returned to China to start a business. In 2013, while trying to buy 13999 BTC, he was scammed and lost $2,000.

In the early years of his startup, he completed almost all development work independently. He also noted that compliance has high short-term costs and low returns, but is ultimately necessary.

Furthermore, Han is very interested in the Hong Kong market and is considering rearranging applications for relevant licenses. He is investing in related fields, such as supporting chip companies for ZK to enhance computing efficiency.

The company's asset reserves are mainly in Bitcoin and Ethereum, and there are currently no obvious cyclical patterns. Han is relatively optimistic about this year's trends.

Most of his time is still spent on technology and products, and he hopes everyone remains grounded and not too impetuous, avoiding shortcuts and overtaking on curves.

PhD in Optoelectronics from Canada, scammed when first exposed to Bitcoin

Colin: I remember you initially studied at Shandong University for both your bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and then pursued a PhD in Canada. What was your major?

Han Lin: I studied electronics; my undergraduate major was Electronic Science and Technology. I was later recommended to pursue graduate studies and then went to Canada for a PhD in Optoelectronics.

Colin: Did you start your entrepreneurial journey right after graduating with your PhD?

Han Lin: After graduating, I did a postdoc in Canada for a year and then returned to China to start a business. At that time, I had some research results that I thought could be applied in the industry, so I founded a company to develop optoelectronic simulation software, later shifting to high-performance computing.

Colin: What prompted you to enter the virtual asset industry? There are reports mentioning that you were scammed early on?

Han Lin: While working in high-performance computing, I needed to use graphics cards and found that many people were using them to mine Bitcoin, so I began researching the Bitcoin white paper. Due to my technical background, I quickly understood the technical value of Bitcoin and developed a strong personal interest. Later, when I tried to buy Bitcoin on forums (like Bitcointalk), I was scammed and lost about $2,000.

Colin: At that time, how much was 100 bitcoins worth?

Han Lin: The total price was about 3,000 Canadian dollars (equivalent to over 2,000 US dollars).

From Chips to Exchanges: Heavy Asset Model is Limited, Trading Platforms Light Assets and Self-Controlled

Colin: With your background in electronics, did you also participate in mining? Why didn't you continue to develop in the mining or chip field?

Han Lin: I did participate in chip design and mining machine manufacturing. In 2013, we purchased a batch of Avalon chips and attempted to design mining machines, but later realized the issues in the chip industry: the heavy asset model is greatly restricted by the supply chain, with long procurement and production cycles and high uncertainty.

In contrast, trading platforms operate on a light asset model, where all processes (like wallet deployment, trading systems, deposit and withdrawal functions) can be implemented through software, allowing for greater autonomy. Therefore, I shifted my focus to trading platforms.

Colin: When was the Gate trading platform launched?

Han Lin: It officially launched in April 2013. At that time, there were very few global trading platforms, mainly concentrated in Taiwan, Japan (like Mt. Gox), and Russia (like BTC-e). There were very few teams in mainland China; I remember only BitChina.

Colin: What was the reason for Gate's rebranding in 2017? Was it related to regulatory policies?

Han Lin: In 2013, domestic policies were relatively friendly, and CCTV reported on Bitcoin payment scenarios (like buying coffee and clothes). However, as the price of Bitcoin rose from $20-30 at the beginning of the year to over $1,000 by the end of the year, regulatory policies tightened.

Therefore, we moved our entity overseas and began global operations.

Spot-First Strategy: Early Bets on Innovative Assets, Contract Business Progressed Conservatively Due to Risks

Colin: Gate is characterized by its strong spot business, while the contract business is not a focus compared to other exchanges. How is the overall strategy considered?

Han Lin: This is related to historical background. When we initially built the trading platform, I personally preferred new technologies, so we launched a large number of innovative assets. For example, in 2013, we were the first to list "Dogecoin" and