Gate Precious Metals Perpetual Contracts Explained: How Gold and Silver Achieve 24/7 Crypto Trading

I. Why Precious Metals Are Entering the Crypto Derivatives Market

Gold and silver have long been considered classic safe-haven assets in traditional finance, with trading activity mainly concentrated in banks, futures exchanges, and OTC markets. However, conventional precious metals trading faces persistent challenges, including restricted trading hours, high participation thresholds, and relatively inefficient settlement processes.

As the crypto derivatives market matures, an increasing number of traditional assets are being integrated into off-chain contract systems. Perpetual contracts enable precious metals to break through time constraints, delivering high liquidity and a 24/7 trading experience consistent with crypto markets. This is the central rationale behind Gate’s launch of its dedicated precious metals section.

II. What Are Gold and Silver Perpetual Contracts

Precious metals perpetual contracts are a type of derivative contract without an expiration date, with prices pegged to spot gold (XAU) or silver (XAG), and settled and margined in USDT.

Users can participate in price movements via contracts without holding the physical metals.

On Gate, precious metals perpetual contracts offer the following key features:

• USDT settlement, minimizing currency conversion and settlement complexity
• Leverage support, increasing capital efficiency
• Index pricing mechanism closely aligned with mainstream precious metals market trends

This structure allows traditional assets to adopt crypto contract trading methods without altering their underlying characteristics.

III. What 24/7 Trading Means for Precious Metals

Traditional precious metals markets are restricted by exchange opening and closing times, which often leads to price gaps and liquidity vacuums during major macroeconomic events. The 7×24-hour model of crypto perpetual contracts delivers continuous price action and enables traders to adjust positions at any time.

For precious metals, round-the-clock trading provides three main benefits:

• Instant macro event response: Interest rate decisions, geopolitical risks, and dollar fluctuations are rapidly reflected in prices
• Proactive risk management: Avoids passive risks from being unable to trade overnight or on weekends
• Improved price discovery: Greater trading continuity reduces extreme price gaps

IV. Which Trading Strategies Suit Precious Metals Perpetual Contracts

In practical terms, gold and silver perpetual contracts are suitable for a wide range of users.

• TradFi-oriented users can use them for macro hedging and trend trading
• Crypto traders can hedge crypto market volatility and balance overall portfolio risk
• Advanced traders can implement cross-market strategies by combining them with forex, indices, or crypto assets

Precious metals prices are typically closely correlated with the dollar, interest rate expectations, and risk sentiment, providing distinctive value in multi-asset portfolios.

V. Gate’s Product Logic and Advantages for Precious Metals

Gate leverages its extensive derivatives expertise in the design of precious metals perpetual contracts. By referencing prices from multiple markets, Gate enhances the stability and transparency of its index pricing, making contracts more reflective of actual market conditions.

The precious metals section is presented as a standalone interface, enabling users to quickly switch between asset classes on the contract page and reducing both learning and operational costs. This product structure demonstrates Gate’s systematic approach to TradFi product integration.

VI. A New Trading Paradigm Under TradFi and Crypto Integration

The launch of precious metals perpetual contracts signals more than just the addition of new trading pairs—it marks a broader trend: traditional financial assets are being repackaged as crypto derivatives.

With this approach, users can conduct multi-asset allocation, risk management, and strategy execution within a unified trading system, eliminating the need to switch between platforms. By continuously introducing traditional asset classes, Gate is advancing crypto trading platforms toward comprehensive financial infrastructure.

Click here to view precious metals contract prices: https://www.gate.com/price/category-metals