TLDR
- Dr. Han spoke at HKU on April 21 during the Web3 Dialogues academia and industry event.
- He said crypto competition is shaped by unequal resources, timing, and information gaps.
- He said Gate grew early by listing long-tail assets and building niche market share.
- He described crypto cycles as short windows tied to ICOs, DeFi, derivatives, and meme assets.
- He said AI is shortening decision windows and changing how platforms allocate resources.
Gate founder and CEO Dr. Han told students at The University of Hong Kong that crypto competition is shaped by timing, speed, and unequal starting points. Speaking at the “Web3 Dialogues @ HKU – Academia x Industry” event on April 21, he said firms that build early momentum often keep that edge longer.
Dr. Han frames crypto competition as an uneven race
Dr. Han said business competition does not begin on equal terms. He said differences in capital, talent, and information shape outcomes from the start. He linked this to the Matthew Effect, where stronger players gain more strength over time.
He told the audience that unfairness is part of the real market structure. “Do not expect fairness in the real world,” he said. He added that this pattern raises barriers for newer entrants.
What if everything you’ve been told isn’t the full answer ？
At Web3 Dialogues @HKUniversity, @Han_Gate met face to face with students and challenged them to think independently.🎓
Don’t blindly trust your parents or teachers. Learn from them, but build your own judgment. From… pic.twitter.com/Lm13trv5XE
— Gate (@Gate) April 22, 2026
He used his own early startup experience as an example. He said he began without major funding or a large team. He built the first version of the platform in a family setting and worked under tighter limits than rivals.
Dr. Han said those limits forced faster and sharper decisions. He said difficult conditions pushed the company to act with more discipline. That approach helped shape its early market strategy.
Early action and niche markets helped Gate gain ground
Dr. Han said one way to compete in an uneven market is to move early. He said firms should build the Matthew Effect before others do. In his view, speed can create an advantage that later becomes hard to reverse.
He said Gate moved early by listing many long-tail assets. That strategy brought users and trading activity at a time when larger rivals stayed cautious. It also helped the platform grow in smaller market segments.
He described this approach as a practical response to limited resources. “While others are still assessing risks, you have already completed your layout,” he said. He said that early execution helped the platform secure early user growth and market share.
Dr. Han added that once momentum forms, it can reinforce itself. Liquidity, brand, and user networks then support each other. He said that cycle can become a strong defensive moat.
Opportunity windows and AI are changing market speed
Dr. Han said the Matthew Effect does not stay fixed forever. He told the audience that every platform faces shocks and periods of change. He said the real test is whether a company can adjust quickly and return to growth.
He described crypto competition as a race for short opportunity windows. He referred to the 2017 ICO period, the 2020 DeFi Summer, derivatives growth, and meme assets. He said each cycle opened a brief path for firms ready to act.
He also said market leaders often move before broad agreement forms. In his view, the key decisions happen when uncertainty is still high. That is when firms choose direction without waiting for full market comfort.
At the end of the speech, Dr. Han spoke about independent judgment. He told students, “Do not blindly trust your parents, and do not blindly trust your teachers.” He said fast-changing fields such as Web3 and AI require personal thinking and quick decisions.
