History of Nasdaq in Timeline

The Nasdaq Stock Market is an American stock exchange based in Manhattan, New York City. It stands as the second-largest stock exchange globally by market capitalization. Notably, it distinguishes itself as the world's first fully electronic stock market. Nasdaq is one of the most active exchanges in the U.S. based on trading volume.

February 8, 1971: Nasdaq Stock Market Commences Operations

On February 8, 1971, the Nasdaq Stock Market began operations as the world's first fully electronic stock market. Initially, Nasdaq functioned as a quotation system rather than a platform for electronic trading.

1981: Nasdaq Traded 37% of U.S. Securities

In 1981, Nasdaq traded 37% of the total volume of U.S. securities markets, which amounted to 21 billion shares.

1987: Nasdaq Still Referred to as "OTC" in Media

As late as 1987, the Nasdaq exchange was still commonly referred to as "OTC" in media reports and also in the monthly Stock Guides issued by Standard & Poor's Corporation, despite its growing presence in the market.

1991: Nasdaq accounted for approximately 46% of U.S. securities trading volume

By 1991, Nasdaq accounted for approximately 46% of U.S. securities trading volume, solidifying its position in the market.

1992: Nasdaq Joined London Stock Exchange

In 1992, the Nasdaq Stock Market and the London Stock Exchange collaborated to establish the first intercontinental linkage of capital markets, marking a significant international expansion.

1996: SEC Alleged Price Fixing by Nasdaq Market Makers

In 1996, the SEC issued a report alleging that Nasdaq market makers fixed prices by avoiding "odd-eighths" quotes to artificially widen spreads, leading to new regulations for order handling.

1998: Nasdaq Became First US Stock Market to Trade Online

In 1998, Nasdaq became the first stock market in the United States to trade online, adopting the slogan "the stock market for the next hundred years".

2000: FINRA began selling its stake in the Nasdaq

In a series of sales starting in 2000, FINRA began selling its stake in the Nasdaq.

2001: FINRA continued selling its stake in the Nasdaq

In 2001, FINRA continued its series of sales, further reducing its stake in the Nasdaq.

2001: Nasdaq Purchased EASDAQ and Became Nasdaq Europe

In 2001, Nasdaq purchased the European Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotation System (EASDAQ), rebranding it as Nasdaq Europe.

July 2, 2002: Nasdaq, Inc. Became a Public Company

On July 2, 2002, Nasdaq, Inc. became a public company through an initial public offering (IPO), listing its own shares on the exchange under the ticker symbol NDAQ.

2003: Nasdaq Europe Operations Shut Down

In 2003, Nasdaq Europe ceased operations following the burst of the dot-com bubble.

December 2005: Nasdaq Acquired Instinet

In December 2005, Nasdaq acquired Instinet for $1.9 billion, retaining the Inet ECN and subsequently selling the agency brokerage business to Silver Lake Partners and Instinet management.

2006: Nasdaq Stock Market Became a Licensed National Securities Exchange

In 2006, the Nasdaq Stock Market's status was officially changed from a stock market to a licensed national securities exchange, marking a regulatory milestone.

November 7, 2007: Nasdaq Acquired Philadelphia Stock Exchange

On November 7, 2007, Nasdaq acquired the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, which was the oldest stock exchange in the United States.

2007: Nasdaq Europe Revived as Equiduct

In 2007, Nasdaq Europe was revived, initially as Equiduct, before being acquired by Börse Berlin later that year.

2007: Nasdaq Merged with OMX and Became Nasdaq OMX Group

In 2007, Nasdaq merged with OMX, a leading exchange operator in the Nordic countries, expanding its global presence and rebranding as the Nasdaq OMX Group.

2011: Nasdaq and Intercontinental Exchange Launched Rival Bid for NYSE Euronext

In 2011, after NYSE Euronext announced a merger with Deutsche Börse, Nasdaq partnered with Intercontinental Exchange to launch a competing bid, which was later withdrawn due to regulatory concerns.

June 18, 2012: Nasdaq OMX became a founding member of the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative

On June 18, 2012, Nasdaq OMX became a founding member of the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative on the eve of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20).

November 2016: Adena Friedman Promoted to CEO of Nasdaq

In November 2016, Adena Friedman was promoted to chief executive officer of Nasdaq, becoming the first woman to hold that position at a major U.S. exchange.

2016: Listings Activities Generated $272 Million in Revenue

In 2016, activities related to listings contributed $272 million to Nasdaq's total revenue.

October 2018: SEC Blocked NYSE and Nasdaq From Raising Market-Data Prices

In October 2018, the SEC blocked both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq from increasing certain market-data prices. This marked the first instance of the commission rejecting such price increases for the exchanges' stock market data feeds.

December 2019: Nasdaq Created the Sustainable Bond Network

In December 2019, Nasdaq established the Sustainable Bond Network, an online platform designed to enhance transparency in the market for green, social, and sustainability bonds.

December 2020: Nasdaq to Remove Shares of Four Chinese Companies

In December 2020, Nasdaq announced its decision to remove shares of four Chinese companies from the indexes it manages, in compliance with Executive Order 13959.

June 2021: Nasdaq Acquired Majority Stake in Puro.earth

In June 2021, Nasdaq acquired a majority stake in Puro.earth, a carbon-removal marketplace, thereby expanding its involvement in voluntary carbon removal markets.

2022: Nasdaq Acquired Metrio and Validated Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets

In 2022, Nasdaq acquired ESG reporting platform Metrio and subsequently announced that its greenhouse gas reduction targets had been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.

September 2024: European Commission Conducted Inspection at Nasdaq Offices

In September 2024, the European Commission conducted an unannounced inspection at Nasdaq's offices to investigate potential anti-competitive practices.

October 2024: Nasdaq Announced Updates to Calypso Platform

In October 2024, Nasdaq announced updates to its Calypso platform, which included the introduction of XVA Accelerator, a tool designed for portfolio risk calculations.

December 31, 2024: 4,075 companies listed on Nasdaq

As of December 31, 2024, a total of 4,075 companies had their securities listed on Nasdaq, distributed across three markets: The Nasdaq Global Select Market (1,383 listings), The Nasdaq Global Market (1,366 listings), and The Nasdaq Capital Market (1,326 listings).

March 2025: Nasdaq Plans to Introduce 24/5 Trading

In March 2025, Nasdaq announced its plans, pending SEC approval, to launch 24-hour, 5-day-a-week trading on its U.S. exchange by the second half of 2026, driven by increasing global demand for U.S. equities.

May 2025: Nasdaq and AWS Launched Nasdaq Eqlipse Trading

In May 2025, Nasdaq and Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced the launch of Nasdaq Eqlipse Trading, a cloud-based platform, which has been adopted by exchanges such as the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Mexico's Grupo BMV, and the Philippine Stock Exchange.

March 2026: SEC Approved Nasdaq Proposal to Trade Stocks in Tokenized Form

On 18 March 2026, The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved a Nasdaq proposal to allow certain stocks to be traded and settled in tokenized form. This marked a step toward integrating blockchain-based settlements into mainstream equity markets.