Gate, a global digital asset trading platform, has upgraded its equity trading services by introducing a zero-fee structure for eligible United States stocks and exchange-traded funds. The company states that this makes it the first platform in the digital asset industry to eliminate its own trading fees on qualifying buy and sell orders for American securities. The move comes as several cryptocurrency-native platforms have been expanding into traditional securities trading, a convergence trend that blurs the line between digital asset exchanges and conventional retail brokerages. Zero-commission equity trading was popularized in the U.S. brokerage industry beginning around 2019, when major retail brokers eliminated per-trade commissions on stocks and ETFs.

Under the revised fee schedule, Gate waives its trading commission on eligible U.S. stocks and ETFs and does not impose a minimum trading fee, account opening fee, or account maintenance fee. The move is designed to reduce the cost of investing in American equity markets and broaden accessibility for users worldwide.

Traders, however, remain responsible for certain third-party charges tied to U.S. market activity. Settlement fees are assessed at $0.003 per share on both buy and sell orders, capped at 0.05% of the transaction value. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulatory fee and the Trading Activity Fee apply exclusively to sell orders. The SEC fee is set at $20.60 per $1,000,000 of sell-side principal, though transactions valued at $500 or less are exempt. The Trading Activity Fee is charged at $0.000195 per share, with sell orders of 50 shares or fewer exempt, and is capped at $9.79 per execution. The Consolidated Audit Trail Fee applies to both sides of a trade at $0.000003 per share. For American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), issuers or custodian banks may levy custody fees typically ranging from one to three cents per share, depending on the terms of the underlying instrument. These third-party charges are standard regulatory and operational costs associated with U.S. equity market infrastructure and are separate from broker-set commissions.

Following the implementation of zero-fee mode, trading volume from U.S. stock transactions will no longer count toward Gate's VIP tier calculations.

Global Market Coverage and Fractional Trading

Gate operates a comprehensive global stock trading ecosystem available 24 hours a day, covering the United States, Hong Kong, and South Korea. The platform facilitates trading in more than 10,000 U.S. stocks and ETFs, over 1,500 Hong Kong-listed equities, and more than 1,000 Korean securities—totaling access to over 12,500 instruments worldwide. Available features include fractional share trading with a minimum purchase of 0.01 shares, entitlement to stock dividends, cross-broker transfer capabilities for U.S. and Hong Kong equities, and support for corporate actions such as stock splits and reverse stock splits. The ability to trade fractional shares alongside digital assets on a single platform addresses a growing demand from retail investors seeking diversified exposure across both traditional and crypto markets without maintaining separate accounts.

Strategic Vision for Multi-Asset Expansion

The fee restructuring is part of Gate's broader initiative to strengthen its global multi-asset trading environment. By removing its own commissions on eligible American securities, the platform aims to lower barriers to equity investment and enable a wider range of participants to access global capital markets with greater cost efficiency. Gate has indicated plans to continue expanding its international stock coverage, refining its trading products, and accelerating the integration of traditional financial assets with digital infrastructure to build a more open and accessible global investment platform. The expansion reflects an industry-wide push among digital asset platforms to become comprehensive financial services hubs, though the pace and scope of such offerings vary across jurisdictions and remain subject to evolving regulatory requirements.