Trade Hunters Academy

What is the Stock Market?
The stock market is a marketplace where shares of publicly traded companies are bought and sold. It enables businesses to raise capital and investors to gain partial ownership in companies.

What is Traded in the Stock Market?
Stocks (shares of companies), exchange-traded funds (ETFs), bonds, derivatives (options, futures), and mutual funds.

History of the Stock Market:
1602: The Dutch East India Company issued the first shares on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange, considered the first stock market.
1792: Formation of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
20th Century: Global expansion with the rise of major exchanges like the London Stock Exchange and Tokyo Stock Exchange.
21st Century: Digital trading platforms revolutionized access to stock markets worldwide.

Biggest Stock Markets:
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE): Largest by market cap (~$26 trillion).
NASDAQ: Focuses on tech companies (~$21 trillion).
Shanghai Stock Exchange, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Euronext, London Stock Exchange.

Stock Market Cap:
Global Market Cap: Over $110 trillion (as of 2024).
US markets dominate, with NYSE and NASDAQ accounting for nearly 50% of the total value.

What is Cryptocurrency?
Cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency secured by cryptography, operating on decentralized blockchain technology. It enables peer-to-peer transactions without intermediaries like banks.

What is Traded in Cryptocurrency?
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Binance Coin (BNB), and others are traded on crypto exchanges. Assets also include altcoins, stablecoins, and tokenized assets.

History of Cryptocurrency:
2008: Bitcoin was introduced by an anonymous entity, Satoshi Nakamoto.
2009: Bitcoin’s blockchain went live as the first decentralized cryptocurrency.
2015: Ethereum introduced smart contracts, enabling decentralized applications (dApps).
2020s: Widespread adoption, growth of DeFi (Decentralized Finance), and NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens).

Biggest Cryptocurrency Markets:
United States: Largest market by trading volume.
China: Despite regulations, significant activity persists.
Japan, South Korea, Europe: Key regions for adoption and trading.

Cryptocurrency Market Cap:
Current Market Cap: Approximately $1.2 trillion (as of late 2024).
Bitcoin and Ethereum dominate with over 60% of the total market cap.