Orca vs Gatehub: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Orca and Gatehub This side-by-side comparison reveals total cost (fees + spreads), security & licenses, coins/derivatives, deposits/withdrawals, and app quality. In 2 minutes you’ll see who wins for beginners, active traders, and long-term holders. Clear pros/cons, a quick verdict, and safe links to get started.

Last updated on September 9, 2025

Orca

Gatehub

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Available Countries

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

Yes

China

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

Yes

yes

United States

yes

Europe

yes

Latin America

yes

India

China

yes

Canada

yes

United Kingdom

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Orca is ideal if:

Builds on Solana’s fast, low-fee network, making it a great fit if you want quick, cost-effective token swaps.
User-friendly interface and tools like “Magic Bar” and Fair Price Indicator simplify DeFi for both beginners and seasoned users.
Concentrated liquidity (Whirlpools) offers efficient yield-earning potential—ideal if you seek to provide liquidity with precision.

Gatehub is ideal if:

Best for managing XRP and key cryptos: If you regularly work with Ripple and other major coins in one place, GateHub’s wallet-to-exchange setup makes life seamless.
Great for beginners who value simplicity: The web interface is clean and intuitive, with built-in trading and strong security basics like 2FA and AES encryption.
Less suited if you want advanced features: If you're looking for margin trading, a wide altcoin range, or faster customer support, GateHub might feel limiting.

Orca isn’t ideal if:

Limited solely to Solana’s ecosystem—which may not suit users looking to trade assets across other blockchains.
Lacks advanced trading tools and detailed charting, making it less appealing for those who rely on technical analysis.
Concentrated liquidity (Whirlpools) introduces increased risk of impermanent loss for liquidity providers.

Gatehub isn’t ideal if:

Limited altcoin variety: If you're seeking exposure to emerging or niche tokens, GateHub focuses on key cryptos and lacks a broad altcoin selection.
No advanced trading tools: Features like leverage, futures, or margin trading aren't available, limiting options for active or speculative traders.
Higher transfer friction: Users note relatively steep withdrawal and deposit costs, plus extra XRP requirements, which may weigh on frequent movers.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

Orca doesn’t use traditional maker/taker models—spot trading occurs through liquidity pools structured via Automated Market Maker (AMM) mechanics, where pool creators set fixed or adaptive fee tiers (ranging roughly from 0.01% to 2%) that apply to all trades, and those fees are shared between liquidity providers, the protocol treasury, and a climate fund.

GateHub uses a flat fee model for spot trades, applying the same rate to both maker and taker orders rather than tiered pricing; there are no volume-based discounts or native-token incentives for fee reduction.

Futures/Derivatives

Orca is strictly a decentralized AMM-based spot platform on Solana and does not offer any futures or derivatives trading, meaning there are no maker/taker or funding fees to consider.

GateHub does not support futures or derivatives trading, so there are no applicable maker, taker, or funding fees.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

Because Orca routes trades through concentrated liquidity pools (Whirlpools) via its smart router, traders usually benefit from highly efficient execution and minimized slippage; though exact spreads fluctuate dynamically, these liquid pairs consistently enjoy tight pricing thanks to deep, targeted liquidity.

GateHub doesn’t publicly display real-time spreads, but given its limited market depth, you can expect spreads to be wider than on major exchanges with high liquidity.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

Orca operates entirely on-chain without direct fiat support—it doesn’t accept or process fiat deposits or withdrawals, meaning no time delays or fees, but you’ll need to convert external fiat to crypto before interacting with the platform.

You can deposit via SEPA (EUR) or SWIFT international wire (USD), with SEPA usually processed in 1–3 business days and wires in 4–7 days; deposit fees vary, while SEPA deposits tend to be free.

On-chain Withdrawals

Orca doesn’t handle withdrawals across multiple blockchains—it functions solely on Solana, so on-chain fees consist only of Solana network transaction costs (typically a tiny, fixed amount of SOL), rather than dynamic variable fees across different networks.

Withdrawal fees differ by network—BTC withdrawals incur a fixed fee (e.g., specified for BTC), while network-level fees apply to XRPL operations; GateHub uses fixed withdrawal fees for major chains but variable transaction costs for XRPL.

Hidden Costs

Orca avoids most hidden fees—there are no inactivity penalties or express KYC charges, and currency conversion only incurs standard swap route costs; the main ongoing cost is network transaction fees and whichever pool fees apply when trading.

GateHub’s potential hidden costs include locked XRP reserve that can’t be spent, fees for certain transfers (even within XRPL issued assets), and optional paid security services; currency conversion may include spread costs.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

Since Orca doesn’t support fiat on-ramps or BTC trading directly, a real-world purchase of €500 worth of BTC would involve using a separate service to convert euros to a Solana-compatible asset (e.g., USDC), then swapping via Orca to your target token—so total cost includes external fiat conversion spread, Orca’s pool fee tier (deducted from the input token), and the minimal Solana transaction fee.

If you convert €500 to BTC, you face the flat trading fee, any spread, then withdraw BTC—so the total cost combines that fee plus the possibly larger-than-average BTC withdrawal fee, resulting in noticeably less delivered BTC than the purchase amount.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

Orca supports approximately 490 tradable coins and over 1,300 trading pairs, with the most active including SOL/USDC, SOL/STSOL, and SOL/MSOL based on volume.

GateHub supports over 16 cryptocurrencies, including more than half of the top 20 by market cap, and offers a broad range of trading pairs across fiat and crypto, enabling users to trade XRP-based IOUs versus major assets seamlessly.

Product Range

Orca focuses on spot swapping and liquidity provision—there’s no margin, derivatives, options, ETFs, loans, copy-trading, grid bots, or automatic DCA. It does reward LPs and enables staking of liquidity positions.

GateHub provides spot trading and integrated wallet services, and includes staking functionality—but it does not offer margin, perpetuals, options, ETFs, loans, copy trading, grid bots, or automated DCA features.

Liquidity

Orca handles hundreds of millions in daily volume—CoinGecko reports about $440–$540 million 24h across the platform, with deep liquidity especially in major pairs like SOL/USDC.

GateHub’s liquidity is relatively thin compared to major exchanges, with low 24-hour trade volume and limited order book depth for BTC and ETH pairs, meaning larger orders may face noticeable slippage or slower execution.

Tools

Orca offers core AMM functionality—no limit, stop, OCO orders or alerts—though it includes handy UI features like the “Magic Bar” and Fair Price Indicator, and there’s SDK, developer APIs (TypeScript), and native Solana wallet integration.

You can place basic order types such as limit or market orders; GateHub includes an order book interface and basic charts, plus a public API, but lacks advanced features like stop orders, OCO, native TradingView integration, or real-time alerts.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Orca does not officially restrict any regions—however, users are advised not to access the platform if local laws deem it prohibited.

GateHub focuses primarily on global spot access and wallet services, with no support for derivatives—thus, there are no region-specific limitations on complex products, simply a uniform lack of them everywhere.

Innovation

Orca enables permissionless pool launches (via token-creation tools), supports concentrated liquidity with Whirlpools, and offers Double-Dip pools (earning dual rewards)—but it doesn’t include launchpads, launchpools, or separate flexible vs locked earn options.

GateHub offers staking as a way to earn rewards and is exploring flexible staking-like models, but it currently does not support launchpad/launchpool mechanisms or offer tiered locked-versus-flexible earning programs.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Orca is a decentralized, non-custodial protocol built on Solana with no central operating company handling custody; governance and UI are supported by an autonomous protocol structure, not a traditional corporate entity.

GateHub is operated by GateHub Limited, established in 2014 and headquartered in London, UK, where it carries out its core operations within the UK fintech regulatory environment.

Licenses/Registration

Orca does not hold industry-standard exchange licenses like VASP or MiCA, given its decentralized architecture—there is no regulatory registration as it doesn’t engage in fiat transactions or centralized trading.

GateHub requires users to complete Know-Your-Customer (KYC) verification before accessing certain services, though it does not promote specific VASP or MiCA registrations publicly—its compliance framework relies on standard KYC procedures relevant to its services.

Custody

The platform is fully non-custodial—users always retain control of their assets in their own wallets. Orca does not hold user funds, nor does it provide formal proof-of-reserves or cold storage backing, since liquidity is deposited by users in smart contracts.

GateHub provides a custodial wallet where users retain control over private keys, which are encrypted and hashed with strong algorithms; there’s no public proof of reserves or audit reports, and any cold reserve breakdown or PoR data is not openly disclosed.

Insurance & Protection Funds

Orca does not currently offer formal insurance or compensation funds for user losses; instead, it relies on strong security design and audit practices to safeguard the protocol and users’ liquidity.

Through the optional Wallet Protect subscription (via Coincover), users can secure multisignature protection and theft insurance coverage up to $1 million per wallet—a paid security enhancement beyond basic account safety measures.

Incident History

Orca has maintained a clean security record over its history—no hacks, fund losses, or regulatory sanctions have been recorded since its launch, and the team celebrates its continuous uptime and safety focus.

In 2019, GateHub suffered a cyber-attack affecting a small subset of accounts; encrypted access tokens were compromised, prompting re-encryption of sensitive data and user notifications, with no widespread fund loss reported.

Risk Controls

Access is secured via users’ wallets; there are no built-in features like two-factor authentication, whitelists, or sub-account structures. Orca promotes a zero-trust design and encourages secure wallet use without centralized API permission controls.

GateHub enforces mandatory 2FA for all accounts, lets users customize anti-phishing messages, offers account freezing in suspicious cases, and supports secure recovery and password practices, though it lacks sub-accounts or granular API permission tiers.

Transparency

The protocol publishes regular security audits and adheres to standards like ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 for information security and quality management, offering clear documentation—but it does not offer monthly financial reports, formal SLAs, or public on-chain dashboards beyond smart contract visibility.

The platform does not publish routine monthly audit reports or wallet addresses; however, its transparency lies in its responsible disclosure policy, bug-bounty program, and clear security guidelines, though formal SLAs and public wallet visibility are not provided.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

Orca is fully on-chain and does not accept direct fiat deposits via bank transfer, cards, or e-wallets—users must first convert fiat to crypto outside the platform, typically via a centralized exchange or on-ramp service.

GateHub allows fiat deposits via bank transfers (SEPA for EUR and SWIFT for USD), with minimums set at 10 EUR or 50 USD; no card or e-wallet options are supported, with processing times generally ranging from 1–3 business days for SEPA and 4–7 for SWIFT

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

Orca is a decentralized, non-custodial platform with no institutional KYC structure—there are no defined user levels (basic or advanced), identity checks, or trading limits based on KYC.

GateHub mandates full KYC through an identity verification process (including video and document checks) before enabling fiat gateways—wallet use remains available without verification, but FIAT access is restricted until completion

Withdrawals

Limits, Durations & Networks

limits, timing, networks

Customer Support

Users can open support tickets directly in the Orca UI, and also reach out via Discord or Telegram; requests are verified via wallet signature, and responses appear in the UI live ticket chat.

GateHub offers 24/7 support via email along with a comprehensive knowledge base for instant help; while there’s no live chat advertised, support claims around-the-clock availability and timely responses via the support portal

Languages & Localization

Orca’s documentation and FAQs are available in multiple languages (including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese) though the platform UI doesn’t show fiat prices or localized fees in currencies like EUR; regulatory localization is up to the user.

The platform operates in English, displays pricing and fees in EUR or USD, and offers fiat services through EU/US rails; local regulatory adaptations (e.g., UK restrictions) affect fiat usage, signaling awareness of regional compliance needs

App Quality & Stability

Orca is known for its smooth, highly responsive performance on Solana—it delivers a seamless experience, with low incidence of crashes and consistent updates, drawing praise for reliability in its V2 build.

GateHub’s app is updated regularly and integrates web-based wallet and market features, though specific metrics on crash rates or stability are not disclosed; the experience is generally smooth across major platforms, with continuous enhancements evident in release notes

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

Orca’s interface is clean and intuitive for beginners, featuring playful visuals and straightforward navigation; it doesn’t currently provide separate “Lite” or “Pro” modes, so both newcomers and experienced users share the same streamlined experience.

GateHub features a straightforward interface built around its wallet-first design, keeping the learning curve gentle for newcomers, but it doesn’t offer separate Lite or Pro modes—every user interacts with the same streamlined trading panel and wallet dashboard.

Performance

Built on Solana, Orca delivers rapid execution with minimal latency, and gracefully handles market surges—its decentralized design avoids KYC queues and centralized congestion even during intense volatility.

The platform’s web-based performance stays reliable under normal conditions, though during high volatility or crypto surges, some users have reported slower processing and delays in order execution or identity verification, reflecting typical strain in peak times.

Education

Orca offers multilingual FAQs and guided documentation—including Spanish resources—but does not yet include a dedicated academy, demo environment, or simulator for hands-on learning or live practice.

GateHub does not provide a dedicated learning academy, demo simulator, or Spanish-language educational courses; users rely on its knowledge base and general support materials, mostly available in English and focused on functional guidance over structured tutorials.

Community

Orca maintains active, developer-friendly channels on Discord and Telegram, fostering a collaborative community; while referral programs aren’t a featured part of its offering, users benefit from strong ecosystem engagement.

Beyond an official Telegram channel and its relatively low-traffic blog or channel posts, GateHub lacks active community forums, Discord groups, or built-in referral programs—user interaction remains limited to support tickets and general platform announcements.

Integrations

Orca provides robust integration via its high-level SDKs, enabling automated trading and infrastructure use, though it doesn’t yet offer built-in links to TradingView charts, external trading bots, or tax/accounting platforms.

The platform does not integrate with TradingView or external trading bots, but it supports tax-reporting services like Koinly, Cointelli, and CoinLedger via data export or API to ease accounting and crypto tax reporting.

Who Each One Is Best For

Orca is ideal for on-chain DeFi users rooted in Solana, developers seeking modular liquidity functionality, and traders who value fast, transparent swapping—while those needing advanced charting, fiat tools, or demo environments may find it less suitable.

GateHub is best suited for users who want a combined wallet and basic spot trading experience on the XRP Ledger, especially those focused on XRP-based IOUs and wanting to bridge fiat and crypto in one place—less ideal for advanced traders or those needing rich integrations.