Gate.io's traditional finance trading volume surged 55% week-over-week to $85 billion, the exchange said, with the spike driven by AI stocks and memory chips via perpetual trading. The jump marks one of the sharpest weekly gains in the platform's derivatives business this year.
What's behind the 55% jump
The surge came as traders piled into perpetual contracts tied to AI-related equities and memory chip makers. Perpetual trading, a type of derivatives product, lets investors bet on price moves without owning the underlying asset, and it's become a go-to for leveraged exposure to hot sectors.
Gate.io's traditional finance volume — which includes these perpetual products — hit $85 billion in the week, up from roughly $55 billion the prior week. The exchange didn't break down how much of the gain came from AI names versus memory chips, but the two categories were cited as the primary drivers.
Why perpetual trading matters here
Perpetual contracts don't have an expiration date, so traders can hold positions as long as they want, paying or receiving funding rates. That flexibility makes them popular for short-term bets on momentum stocks, especially when a sector like AI is moving fast.
Memory chip stocks have been a particular focus recently, with demand for high-bandwidth memory tied to AI accelerators. The weekly volume spike suggests traders are using Gate.io's platform to ride that wave, though the exchange didn't name specific tickers.
A broader signal for crypto exchanges
For Gate.io, the jump is a reminder that its traditional finance arm — often overshadowed by its crypto spot and derivatives markets — can move in lockstep with equity market themes. The $85 billion figure is a notable chunk of the exchange's overall trading activity, though the company didn't disclose total volume for the week.
The surge also highlights how crypto-native platforms are increasingly catering to traders who want to speculate on traditional assets like stocks, not just digital currencies. Gate.io has been expanding its traditional finance offerings, and this week's numbers suggest the strategy is gaining traction.
Whether the momentum holds is the open question. The next weekly close will show if the AI and memory chip trade has staying power or if this was a one-off burst.
