The global financial crisis makes leaders battle with tough situations and this makes them stronger, better leaders in the industry. Many bright individuals work closely with global leaders and acquire important insights and creative ideas to boost their companies. Such leaders possess qualities like openness to learn and adapt to the working environment and constantly changing market. Taking a long-term approach to building solid foundations of work, Dr. Lin Han (CEO, Gate.io) is leading the crypto sector diligently.
Inception of the Largest Digital Asset
Lin was fascinated by consumer technology from a young age and decided to pursue a career in the same. He studied hard and managed to obtain a Ph.D. in High-Performance Computing Algorithms. Later in the early 2010s, when Lin came across the Bitcoin whitepaper, he saw the potential of cryptocurrencies and how they can revolutionize the future of global finance. He started investing in Bitcoin and purchased the same. However, it was a difficult process in its early days, and Lin was also scammed and lost 100 bitcoins.
Gateway to Crypto
According to Lin, his early experiences with crypto and scams fueled the desire to create an accessible, safe trading platform for cryptocurrencies, a ‘gateway to crypto’. Over the years, Gate.io has evolved past just being a crypto trading platform to a growing crypto ecosystem. It includes the native GateChain blockchain ecosystem as well as other trading and investment products. The company has also established Gate Labs and Gate Ventures to actively invest in and support upcoming projects in the crypto industry.
Gate.io’s team, under Lin’s guidance, uses its wealth of knowledge and financial resources to support startups in development. It also helps build great products that are vital for growing the crypto industry. The company has recently launched a Student Ambassador Program. Currently, it is working on Gate.io Learn which will be instrumental in educating the masses about crypto and ensuring that they are well equipped to either invest in or build in the crypto industry.
Secure and Comprehensive Solutions
Gate.io has made giant strides in offering a more secure and comprehensive solution compared to its competitors. The company develops and maintains the most advanced blockchain infrastructure in the industry. This infrastructure includes hundreds of blockchains and nodes and they act as a bridge to link the centralized and decentralized world. “As a result, the company offers one of the widest varieties of tradable assets (over 1,500) in the industry.” Moreover, a unique service that the company provides is the Proof-of-Reserves service.
Gate.io created and patented a method for verifying the exchange that holds custody of all of its user’s assets through a Merkle Tree—a data structure used in cryptography to verify data sets. As per Lin’s opinions, it has become very important for users to be able to verify their assets are safe as many platforms are going bankrupt or insolvent recently, leaving users in the lurch.
Lead by Example
“I try to lead by example, I am very hands-on when it comes to developing and expanding the range of products and services we offer,” briefs Lin. Lin’s responsibilities include working closely with each team including the marketing, branding, and product development teams. This has led Lin to hold several blockchain-related patents and have a thorough knowledge of the inner workings of the platform and the people who work on it. According to Lin, it is important for leaders to keep teams inspired and motivated during times of volatility and uncertainty in the market.
‘Proof-of-reserves’ Audit
Gate.io covers the cryptocurrency exchange industry. The company is a constantly growing crypto ecosystem with a wide range of products and services. Therefore, the target market for the company is broad that covers both individuals and institutions interested in either investing or building in the crypto and web3 industries. The Gate Labs and Gate Ventures teams are proactive and enthusiastically invest in and support projects building the future of crypto, web3, the metaverse, and fintech. Gate.io uplifts the projects that aim to build the future of finance and technology. Additionally, the proof-of-reserves audit shows the commitment to transparency and inspires more industry players to achieve excellency.
Share Wisdom, Be Proactive
Being proactive is one of the important factors that contribute to a company’s success. As Lin says, “You need to be aware of the ever-changing conditions of the markets you operate in, the state of the global economy, and every factor that may influence the success of your business both in the short and long-term.” Lin actively attends all the meetings with all different teams in the organization. This keeps him up-to-date with every new development so that he can lend his support when needed.
Life beyond the Cabin
Maintaining a perfect work-life balance is very important and Lin handles both sides very well. “Some may call me a workaholic, but if you enjoy what you do, then every moment spent doing it is rewarding,” briefs Lin. When he has some free time to spare, he enjoys reading books. He says that it can completely unwind the person and take him/her in another world, if he/she reads books for an hour or two a day. It also fosters creativity and stimulates the mind.
Teamwork makes the Dreamwork!
To motivate the team, Gate.io offers great performance-based incentives. However, Lin believes in providing his team with the freedom to perform their duties in the ways they find most effective and trusting that they will execute the ways to the best of their abilities. As micro-management is not an effective method of managing staff, offering freedom and trust is very important. They act as an incentive for employees to outperform industry peers. Like the crypto industry, the excellent team at Gate.io is decentralized and based all around the world. Everyone from the team works on welcoming newcomers and helping them grow both within the company and the industry as a whole.
Keystones of Success
Being an experienced personality in the industry, Lin gives advice to budding leaders as the key to success is leading by example. A leader must set an example for employees to follow by working hard and with consistency. “You also need to continuously learn; educate yourself about the industry you’re active in, the latest developments, new trends, and more,” adds Han.
ALSO READ: The 10 Prominent CEOs of 2023
