The 2000–2002 technology-stock collapse was the dot-com crash.
During the late 1990s, investors poured money into internet companies, many of which had little revenue or no profits. Expectations about online commerce and digital technology pushed valuations to extreme levels. The Nasdaq Composite reached a peak on March 10, 2000, before falling sharply as investors reassessed business models and future earnings.
The decline continued for roughly two years. Numerous internet start-ups failed, while established technology companies also lost substantial market value. The crash did not mean that the internet was unimportant; instead, it showed that transformative technology can coexist with unrealistic prices and weak corporate finances.
The dot-com crash is often confused with the broader 2001 recession or with the 2008 financial crisis. Those events overlapped in time only partly and had different immediate causes. The dot-com episode centered especially on technology and internet shares, with the Nasdaq as its most recognizable market indicator.