The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, established in 1602 by the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie or VOC), is widely recognized as the oldest operational stock exchange in the world. It was created to facilitate the trade of company shares and bonds, establishing the foundational principles of modern capital markets, joint-stock corporations, and public equity trading. Today, its historic legacy is preserved as part of Euronext Amsterdam, continuing centuries of European financial market traditions.