ICM vs Traditional Finance

Internet Capital Markets represent a fundamental departure from traditional financial systems, operating on different principles and serving different purposes.

Feature Comparison
FeatureTraditional Capital MarketsInternet Capital Markets (ICMs)
AccessGated, regulatedOpen, permissionless
Asset typeEquity, shares, profit claimsTokens tied to usage, belief, momentum
ListingsLegal-intensiveOn-chain smart contracts
Price DiscoveryAnalysts, revenue, earningsLiquidity + public attention
HoursBusiness days24/7/365
IdentityVerified, legalPseudonymous wallets
GovernanceShareholder-controlledCommunity-influenced (optional)

Key Insight

ICMs aren't a modern version of equity markets. They're a parallel system, reflecting internet dynamics through tokens, not contracts.

Traditional Finance
  • • Ownership-based
  • • Profit-driven
  • • Regulatory compliance
  • • Institutional gatekeepers
  • • Legal frameworks
Internet Capital Markets
  • • Participation-based
  • • Culture-driven
  • • Code-enforced rules
  • • Permissionless access
  • • Smart contract protocols