Gate.io launched a new Precious Metals Zone on jan. 14, rolling out USDT‑margined perpetual futures for gold (XAU) and silver (XAG). The move gives traders continuous access to the metals with up to 50x leverage and a pricing feed that aggregates multiple precious‑metals markets.
The contracts became effective on jan. 14 and they are perpetual futures settled in USDT, available for trading 24 hours a day. Gate.io capped margin at up to 50x leverage and said pricing will be derived from an index that aggregates data across multiple precious‑metals venues to support continuous price discovery.
Gate.io framed the launch as part of a broader strategy to “enrich its TradFi portfolio,” noting plans to add indices and other commodities in future releases. The exchange also described the roll‑out as built with compliance and risk control in mind.
The product expansion aims to extend traditional finance exposure inside a crypto trading environment, positioning Gate.io alongside competitors that are already integrating TradFi instruments.
Market context and what this means for traders
Gate.io’s launch follows a growing trend of exchanges offering tradable forms of traditional assets inside crypto infrastructure. Binance has already introduced regulated TradFi perpetuals tied to gold and silver via a licensed entity, with other TradFi contracts offering higher leverage in some cases.
The regulated setup at Binance — through Nest Exchange Limited under the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Abu Dhabi Global Market — is being highlighted by market observers as a factor that could accelerate institutional adoption.
For active traders and portfolio managers, the new instruments broaden hedging and macro‑allocation options within a single execution environment. The multi‑venue pricing feed should reduce basis risk versus single‑source pricing, but the availability of up to 50x leverage also increases tail risk: margin events will amplify losses as well as gains.
Operationally, managers will likely monitor cross‑venue basis, funding rates and open interest once liquidity emerges, while macro desks may use the contracts for directional exposure or short‑term hedges against fiat or crypto volatility. Arbitrage desks will be watching the index construction and any early discrepancies between spot metal markets and the USDT‑margined perpetuals.
Investors and traders are now turning their attention to Gate.io’s roadmap for additional indices and commodity listings and to how competitors’ regulated product designs affect liquidity and institutional entry.
