The Dutch East India Company invented stock trading

In 1602, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) revolutionized finance by issuing the world's first publicly traded shares. To fund its ambitious spice expeditions, the VOC raised 6.4 million guilders from ordinary investors, allowing them to buy stakes in the company's profits and risks. These innovative shares could be freely bought and sold, creating an active secondary market in Amsterdam, the precursor to modern stock exchanges.