What are the core differences between Gate TradFi and traditional brokers? An article to understand the new logic of cross-market trading

For traders accustomed to 24/7 crypto markets with instant access, the allure and barriers of traditional financial markets are equally obvious. Gold, US stocks, forex, commodities—these assets offer enticing trend opportunities, but the thought of opening a traditional brokerage account, navigating complex deposit processes, facing T+2 settlement, and dealing with hidden fees often deters many.

By 2026, with the full integration of Gate TradFi, this “disconnect” finally has a clear answer. Gate isn’t simply adding a “stock portal” to a crypto exchange; it’s reconstructing the way traditional financial assets are traded using a thoroughly native crypto logic.

Below are the core differences in the underlying architecture between Gate TradFi and traditional brokerages.

Account System Differences: From “Multiple Keys” to “Unified Command Center”

Pain points of traditional brokerages:

When you want to hold Bitcoin, gold, and Nasdaq indices simultaneously, traditional brokers require managing at least two or three separate identities. In crypto, you’re a “trader,” but with a broker, you become an “overseas investor,” needing to resubmit passports, proof of address, and wait for lengthy foreign exchange account approvals. Your funds are split across different apps, profits can’t cover margins elsewhere, and funds are waiting for T+2 settlement.

Gate TradFi’s solution:

No separate accounts, only modules under a main account. This is the fundamental difference between Gate TradFi and traditional brokerages. Under Gate’s main account system, users can enable permissions with a single click to manage both crypto assets and TradFi assets within the same interface. Your Ethereum long positions, gold hedges, and Apple stock CFDs are stored in the same holdings list, viewable with a swipe in the app.

This design means: you no longer need to “become” a traditional finance client; you’re simply a Gate user who also trades global markets.

Capital Efficiency Differences: USDT as Your “Global Pass”

If accounts are the skeleton, funds are the blood. The most headache-inducing part of traditional brokerages is never predicting price movements but exchanging money.

Traditional brokerage process:

Want to invest in US stocks? You need to convert USDT to USD. Want to trade London gold? You might need to convert to offshore RMB or another pegged currency. Each exchange incurs FX spreads, fees, and delays. By the time funds arrive, the market window may have already closed.

Gate TradFi’s revolutionary design:

USDT is the universal margin.

When you transfer USDT from Gate’s main account to a TradFi sub-account, the system automatically displays it as an internal valuation unit USDx at a 1:1 ratio.

It’s important to emphasize: this is not a currency exchange, just a unit conversion. No FX costs are involved, no fiat deposits or withdrawals, and the asset properties remain unchanged—your assets are still 100% backed by USDT. Every USDT earned in crypto can directly serve as margin for gold, oil, or Nasdaq markets without leaving the crypto space or converting currencies.

Trading Costs and Time Differences: Transparent Fees and Flexible Mechanisms

One of the core profit sources for professional traders is meticulous control over trading costs. In this regard, Gate TradFi demonstrates a deep understanding of high-frequency traders.

Cost comparison:

• Traditional online brokers: Fees are usually a percentage of trading volume, around 0.08% - 0.2%. Additional costs may include account management fees, high overnight premiums, and wire transfer fees ranging from $15 to $50.
• Gate TradFi: Uses a clear fixed fee model. Minimum per-trade fee can be as low as $0.018. For mainstream assets like forex and metals, VIP users can pay as little as $5.4 per lot.

For example, an active trader executing 100 NAS100 index trades daily might pay $120–$300 in commissions on traditional platforms, while Gate TradFi’s daily fixed cost is only $1.8.

Time and position rules:

Traditional brokerages follow fixed trading hours and have T+2 settlement restrictions. Gate TradFi retains the characteristics of TradFi assets but offers flexible interpretations in a crypto context:

• Trading hours: CFDs follow market hours, but tokenized stocks (xStocks) support 24/7 trading.
• Overnight fees: Traditional brokerages have complex, opaque overnight fee calculations, whereas Gate TradFi automatically calculates based on market rates with transparency and no hidden markups.

Leverage and Risk Control Logic: Asset-Characteristic-Based Precision Design

Leverage is a double-edged sword. Gate TradFi’s leverage design reflects a deep understanding of different asset characteristics, contrasting sharply with the “one-size-fits-all” or complex entry mechanisms of traditional brokers.

• Forex, metals, and indices: support up to 500x leverage. These assets are highly liquid (e.g., EUR/USD’s daily trading volume exceeds $1.5 trillion), with market depth sufficient for high-leverage trading.
• Stock CFDs: limited to 5x leverage. This cautious approach accounts for potential gaps caused by earnings reports or news, helping protect traders’ principal during volatile swings.

Additionally, Gate TradFi’s full-margin mode allows long and short positions to hedge within a single account. The system calculates margin requirements only on net positions, enabling efficient execution of complex arbitrage strategies.

Tools and Ecosystem Differences: MT5 Professional Depth

Many traders worry that trading traditional assets on crypto platforms sacrifices professionalism.

Gate TradFi’s answer: not only does it not sacrifice, it elevates. Gate TradFi deeply integrates MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Users’ account info syncs in real-time between Gate and MT5 clients. Traders can enjoy the convenience of a unified Gate account while accessing over 38 technical indicators, 21 timeframes, and automated trading (EA) features in MT5.

This “cross-border” experience is hard for traditional brokerages to match—a platform with over 4,400+ crypto trading pairs, yet capable of running automated gold trading strategies.

Summary

The core difference between Gate TradFi and traditional brokerages is fundamentally “crypto-native efficiency” versus “traditional financial barriers.”

As the correlation between crypto markets and macro markets grows, traders who can flexibly switch between crypto, gold, forex, and indices will have more strategic options and risk hedging tools. The significance of Gate TradFi isn’t just adding more trading instruments; it’s making cross-market rotation as simple as switching trading pairs on Gate.

By February 2026, Gate TradFi’s total trading volume exceeded $33 billion, with peak daily volume surpassing $6 billion. This data confirms a fact: cross-market trading is shifting from a privilege of a few professionals to a fundamental tool for mainstream investors.

And the only thing standing between you and this world is a Gate account.