Thanks for the response.

"Gateway": Looked that up, it just means a link between two entities. Not sure that fully explains it, sometimes it's best to know who owns what.
Does BitShares have control over OpenLedger or vice versa?
Which platform recieves updates first, if developers change something on one side or the other?

Again, how much does it cost to move money out of BitShares Exchange Platform, if removing Steem currency? We saw some fee schedules, but they were VERY confusing in terms of definitions.

From your reply, it sure seems like it's better to sign up for BitShares Exchange Platform, as it's senior to OpenLedger?

Also, can one use the Steemit private key to gain entry into BitShares Exchange Platform, without having to do a seperate sign-up process since BitShares was initiated by the same founder?