Gate founder Dr. Han: Competition in the crypto industry is never fair; the key is to seize the "Matthew effect" opportunity.

At the "Web3 Dialogues @ HKU - Academia x Industry" Web3 exchange event hosted by the University of Hong Kong, Dr. Han, founder and CEO of Gate, stated that the essence of the crypto industry is not fair competition, but rather a "Matthew effect" where first-mover advantage amplifies. Once a leading position is established, platforms will self-reinforce through liquidity, user base, and brand effect, thereby continuously widening the gap. Dr. Han reviewed each key window of opportunity in the industry, which were extremely short-lived, from the 2017 ICO and the 2020 DeFi Summer to derivatives and meme tracks. The real winners were often the few participants who positioned themselves early and acted quickly amidst controversy, rather than followers who waited for consensus to form before entering the market. Gate has grown to its current scale by seizing key opportunities during these periods. Dr. Han emphasized that in the new phase of accelerated integration of Web3 and AI, the market favors those with independent judgment and rapid decision-making capabilities. He advised against blindly following the rules and suggested that seizing opportunities based on one's own judgment is key to building a long-term advantage in the new cycle.