dYdX vs Gate.Io: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between dYdX and Gate.Io 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

dYdX

Gate.Io

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Available Countries

United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

Yes

China

Canada

United Kingdom

United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

India

China

Canada

United Kingdom

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dYdX is ideal if:

You thrive on decentralized control: If you value true self-custody and want to trade without intermediaries, dYdX delivers that fully trustless experience through its app-chain model.
You demand professional-grade derivatives: Ideal for experienced traders seeking advanced tools (perpetuals, deep liquidity, order books) wrapped in a sleek, CEX-like interface.
You prioritize scalability and speed: Built on its own Cosmos-based Layer 1 chain, dYdX offers lightning-fast execution and high throughput—perfect for active or algorithmic trading.

Gate.Io is ideal if:

Perfect for advanced or algorithmic traders, offering powerful tools like trading bots, copy trading, extensive APIs, and access to derivatives across thousands of assets.
Great for altcoin hunters, thanks to one of the broadest selections in the market—over 3,800 cryptocurrencies and nearly 3,000 trading pairs.
Well-suited for passive earners, with diverse opportunities such as staking, crypto lending, auto-invest, and DeFi integration.

dYdX isn’t ideal if:

You want a huge crypto selection: If you prefer platforms with hundreds or thousands of assets, dYdX’s limited range (focused on derivatives and select tokens) might feel restrictive.
You’re new to DeFi or prefer full KYC onboarding: If you expect a traditional, identity-verified trading experience, dYdX’s wallet-only, non-custodial flow may seem unfamiliar or cumbersome.
You need fiat deposits or simple spot-only trades: If your strategy relies on using bank transfers or just spot trading with fiat, dYdX’s focus on crypto leverage/perpetuals may not suit your needs.

Gate.Io isn’t ideal if:

If you prioritize heavy regulatory oversight, Gate.io may fall short as it operates with lighter regulatory frameworks and lacks oversight by major global authorities.
If you're new to crypto and value simplicity, the platform’s advanced interface and multitude of tools can feel overwhelming rather than beginner-friendly.
If you need mobile-first usability, the mobile app may underperform compared to the desktop version, impacting ease of use on the go.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

dYdX employs a tiered maker/taker fee model—starting at around 0.02% for makers and 0.05% for takers for lower trading volumes, and reducing significantly (even resulting in rebates for makers) as your 30-day volume and market share increase; no explicit discount is tied to holding the native token anymore.

Gate.io employs a tiered VIP structure (from VIP0 to VIP16) that adjusts maker and taker spot fees based on your trading volume; you can also use the native GT token to reduce fees, and high-volume market makers may even enjoy negative maker fees via special rebate programs.

Futures/Derivatives

Perpetual futures follow a similar tiered structure, with maker fees beginning around 0.01% and taker around 0.05%, and both shrinking as volume grows; funding rates are variable and pair-specific, aligning positions’ pricing periodically without fixed values.

Futures trading follows its own tiered fee system with options to reduce taker fees via points or VIP rates; funding rates (which fluctuate based on market conditions) apply to perpetuals and are recalculated periodically to balance long and short positions.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

dYdX operates with tight spreads for highly traded perpetual pairs like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT thanks to deep liquidity on its order book structure—typically narrower than what’s common on many centralized platforms.

While Gate.io doesn’t publish fixed spreads, its BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT markets benefit from deep liquidity and tight bid-ask spreads, ensuring competitive execution for high-volume traders.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

Fiat on-ramps are not provided directly—users must bring crypto in via bridges (e.g., Skip Go Fast, IBC or via Coinbase for USDC); there are no platform fees, but third-party or network fees may apply, and processing can range from seconds to a few minutes depending on method.

Fiat transfers depend on location and may include bank wires, credit/debit cards via partners like Banxa or Simplex, and P2P, with varying processing times and gateway fees—not detailed here to maintain evergreen relevance.

On-chain Withdrawals

Crypto withdrawals incur only network or bridge fees—fees vary dynamically by network (e.g., Ethereum, Cosmos, Solana)—and are not fixed; the platform itself doesn’t add extra charges beyond those required for settlement.

Crypto withdrawal fees are dynamic and adjust to blockchain conditions such as congestion; for example, BTC withdrawal fee is dynamically priced and often lower than industry average, while certain networks like TRON adapt under energy-based models.

Hidden Costs

There are essentially no hidden fees—there’s no inactivity charge, no extra cost for expedited KYC (since KYC is minimal), and currency conversions occur only through normal network swaps without opaque surcharges.

Additional expenses may crop up via fiat-to-crypto conversion spreads, optional fees for expedited KYC, or premium services—these vary by region and user actions but are part of your effective cost.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

For a €500 BTC purchase, your cost comprises a small taker fee (around 0.05%), a tight spread inherent to the order book, and then if you withdraw, only the network fee on the chain—there’s no layered fee structure or hidden markup adding to the total.

You’d face a small spread on the spot pair, a spot taker fee (reducible via VIP or GT), possible conversion costs from EUR to USDT/BTC, and a dynamic blockchain fee when withdrawing—altogether, the total cost blends spread, trading fee, currency conversion, and network withdrawal cost.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

dYdX offers over 200 perpetual markets on its Chain, spanning the most traded assets (like BTC-USD, ETH-USD, SOL-USD) as well as emerging tokens; the top 20 by volume include the largest-cap cryptocurrencies and most liquid pairs across derivatives.

Gate.io supports a vast array of more than 3,600 to near 3,900 cryptocurrencies and over 2,500 to 3,800 trading pairs, covering everything from major coins to niche altcoins—its top 20 pairs by volume regularly include staples like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT.

Product Range

dYdX currently offers perpetual derivatives and margin trading, with no spot, options, ETFs, staking/earn, loans, copy trading, grid bots, or automated DCA — though future versions (v4+) are preparing to expand back into spot and other synthetic offerings.

The platform offers nearly every major trading and investment option, including spot, margin, perpetual futures, options, copy trading, grid bots, auto DCA, staking/earn programs, loan services, and even ETF-like passive products.

Liquidity

The platform maintains strong 24-hour trading volume often exceeding several hundred million dollars, with deep order books for BTC-USD and ETH-USD delivering consistent market depth and low slippage.

Gate.io consistently ranks among the global top three for 24-hour spot trading volume, demonstrating deep market depth—liquidity in BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT is robust, ensuring tight order book spreads and ample execution for sizeable trades.

Tools

Traders benefit from advanced order options (limit, market, stop-loss/take-profit), real-time charting with native TradingView support, API and WebSocket access for automation, though there’s no built-in alerts panel yet.

Traders on Gate.io benefit from advanced tools including limit, stop, and OCO orders, trading alerts, rich native charting, comprehensive APIs with WebSocket support, and integrated TradingView charts for sophisticated analysis.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Product availability varies by region — for example, derivatives may be restricted or disabled in certain jurisdictions like the U.S., while other global areas generally have full access to perpetual trading on dYdX Chain.

Certain sophisticated products like derivatives, futures, or margin trading may be restricted in specific regions due to regulatory constraints, meaning availability will vary depending on your jurisdiction.

Innovation

dYdX’s ‘Launchable’ and MegaVault systems allow community-driven, instant market creation and liquidity pooling, while staking rewards and other incentives are dynamically distributed, without fixed earn or lock-up schemes.

Gate.io stays ahead in innovation with features like launchpad/token sales (IEOs), launchpool events, and flexible vs locked “earn” staking products—all part of its ecosystem-driven approach to expanding passive and active income streams.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

dYdX is operated by dYdX Operations Services Ltd., a Cayman Islands-based company managing the front end and indexing services, and governance itself is transitioning to a Cayman Islands Foundation Company for stronger legal structure and decentralization.

Gate.io was founded in April 2013 by Dr. Lin Han and operates under the Gate Group umbrella from multiple jurisdictions, with its main legal base often linked to entities such as Gate Technology Ltd and other affiliates spread across regions.

Licenses/Registration

The platform doesn’t hold traditional financial licenses like VASP but has voluntarily released a MiCA-aligned whitepaper detailing its token governance, risk frameworks, and legal positioning under the EU regulatory regime.

Gate Group holds a Class 4 VFA license in Malta, registrations as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) in Lithuania and Italy, plus operational approvals in Hong Kong, the UAE (DMCC and VARA), the Bahamas, and others—ensuring compliance across key markets.

Custody

Users retain full custody due to the non-custodial, smart-contract model; funds are verifiable on-chain in real time (transparent Proof of Reserves), and the protocol publishes open-source audits—there’s no centralized cold-reserve custody by dYdX itself.

Gate.io uses its own custody infrastructure paired with third-party oversight, employs an open-source Merkle-Tree based Proof-of-Reserves system (upgraded with zk-SNARKs), audited by Hacken and standalone firms, offering transparency over asset backing far above 100 %.

Insurance & Protection Funds

dYdX does not maintain insurance or protection funds like centralized platforms—liquid funds rely on cryptographic guarantees and community governance rather than third-party insurance.

Gate.io maintains the Gate SAFU fund—a reserve pool designed to serve as an emergency protection mechanism for user assets—offering a supplementary safety layer in case of extreme incidents.

Incident History

Since its launch, dYdX has not experienced any major hacks, freezes, or regulatory penalties—its decentralized chain operations and open-source design have helped avoid such incidents.

While Gate.io has avoided major publicized hacks, it made headlines in 2022 for helping return a mis-sent $416 million in ETH from another exchange—demonstrating a transparent response capability and operational integrity.

Risk Controls

As a non-custodial DeFi platform, security hinges on your wallet; dYdX’s interface supports API and WebSocket connectivity but does not offer traditional controls like 2FA or sub-account whitelists because private key and wallet security remain user-managed.

The platform includes robust security features such as mandatory two-factor authentication (2FA), anti-phishing safeguards, whitelisting of withdrawal addresses, tiered sub-accounts, and finely-granular API permissions for tailored access control.

Transparency

The protocol maintains high transparency—open-source code, public chain data, on-chain governance/fund flows, and MiCA-aligned documentation provide clear accountability, though there’s no direct monthly performance report format or formal SLA.

Gate.io stands out for its high transparency—publishing monthly PoR reserve ratios (e.g., total reserves > $10 billion with ~128 % backing), providing public wallet addresses, and committing to service-level expectations through audit-backed disclosures.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

dYdX does not support direct fiat deposits; instead, users bridge in crypto via Skip Go Fast, Skip Go regular, or Coinbase/Noble, with instant to few-minute settlement depending on method.

Gate.io supports fiat deposits via bank transfers, credit/debit cards, and third-party providers like Simplex, Banxa, and Mercuryo, though availability, limits, and processing times depend on your region.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

dYdX does not support direct fiat deposits; instead, users bridge in crypto via Skip Go Fast, Skip Go regular, or Coinbase/Noble, with instant to few-minute settlement depending on method.

KYC (Verification Levels)

dYdX is fully non-custodial and does not require any KYC levels—there is no basic or advanced KYC, and therefore no user limits tied to identity verification.

Gate.io requires KYC, using a tiered risk-based approach (from basic identity to advanced address verification) that determines your access and daily withdrawal limits—higher levels offer greater flexibility and limits.

Withdrawals

Withdrawals are subject to network-specific rules—USDC via Noble has default rate limits (e.g., up to 1% of TVL per hour), supported chain options vary and times range from seconds to minutes depending on the route.

Withdrawal limits rise substantially with verification level (e.g., from USD 100k equivalent up to millions per day), and available networks such as TRC20, ERC20, BEP20 depend on the asset—processing times and fees vary.

Customer Support

dYdX provides in-app live chat powered by ACX, documentation-rich help center and community forums, aiming response times of 1–2 hours via opening help tickets and growing self-service tools continuously.

Gate.io provides 24/7 support through live chat and email, boasting fast response times, along with a comprehensive help center full of guides and FAQs.

Languages & Localization

The platform primarily supports English and Turkish for now, with localization and additional languages planned later; fiat values are not directly displayed in euros since there’s no native fiat handling built in.

The platform is highly globalized, offering full support in over a dozen languages, and displays pricing and interface elements in common currencies like USD and EUR, accommodating diverse user bases.

App Quality & Stability

The interface is robust and designed to feel like a centralized exchange in performance and UX—recent updates and seamless deposit/withdrawal UX suggest solid stability with minimal crashes reported.

The Gate.io mobile app offers full trading functionality and real-time data, though user feedback notes occasional sluggishness or UI lag—especially under heavy load or rapid market moves.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

dYdX offers a dual-mode interface—Default Mode provides a simplified, intuitive layout ideal for newcomers exploring perpetuals, while Pro Mode unlocks advanced UI features and full functionality akin to the web platform, allowing users to grow into the system at their own pace.

Gate.io offers both “Lite” and “Pro” trading modes—Lite is streamlined and user-friendly for beginners, while Pro packs charts, order types, and data panels for experienced traders, giving users an adjustable interface that aligns with their skill level.

Performance

Built on its own low-latency Cosmos-based chain, dYdX delivers fast order execution and handles high trade throughput smoothly; while past infrastructure bottlenecks during extreme volatility prompted upgrades, there’s no user-facing KYC queuing since KYC isn’t part of the flow.

Order execution is generally swift, though during extreme market swings there can be minor delays or slowed UI responsiveness; KYC review waits can also stretch in bull phases when new registrations surge, causing temporary bottlenecks.

Education

dYdX has launched a user-friendly trading guide through its Learning Hub to help onboard new traders—from wallet connection to placing orders—and while there’s no fully featured simulator or Spanish-specific academy yet, the guides are simple and approachable.

Gate’s learning platform features interactive tutorials, live articles, and a practicing simulator for options—though most materials are in English, they’ve recently added some Spanish-language content and step-by-step guides to ease onboarding.

Community

dYdX fosters a vibrant ecosystem with active community forums, Discord channels, and a structured referral/affiliate system offering trading incentives and rewards for community engagement learners and contributors.

Gate.io supports an active user ecosystem with a Community Center, official blog updates, and social channels (including Discord/Telegram), plus a rewarding referral program that encourages peer sharing and learning.

Integrations

The platform features seamless TradingView-powered charting, open APIs for external bot and automation support, and compatibility with data tools via community resources, though no built-in tax or accounting modules exist.

Gate integrates natively with TradingView for advanced charting, supports external trading bots, and connects to tax/reporting tools like Blockpit—helping users with strategy automation and financial recordkeeping.

Who Each One Is Best For

dYdX is perfect for traders comfortable with DeFi and eager for fast, non-custodial perpetual trading, while those unfamiliar with blockchain UI or preferring guided spot experiences might find the learning curve and interface options less suitable.

Gate.io is a strong fit for tech-savvy traders who value depth, flexibility, and ecosystem integration; it’s well-suited to those looking to level up from simple platforms but may feel dense for casual or beginner users who prefer straightforward, minimal interfaces.