The U.S. technology-stock collapse that followed the late-1990s Internet bubble is called the dot-com crash.
During the dot-com bubble, investors placed exceptionally high values on Internet-related companies, including firms with little revenue or no profits. The Nasdaq Composite rose dramatically through the late 1990s, reaching a peak of 5,048.62 on 10 March 2000.
After confidence weakened, technology shares fell rapidly. The Nasdaq eventually lost about 78% of its value from its peak to its October 2002 low. Many Internet companies failed, while a smaller group of survivors later became major businesses.
The dot-com crash is not the same as the 2008 financial crisis. The earlier episode centered on technology valuations and speculative investment; the later crisis was closely tied to housing finance, banks, and credit markets. The word “dot-com” refers to the .com Internet domain used by many affected companies.