The dot-com crash was the technology-focused market collapse that followed the bursting of the late-1990s internet-stock bubble.
During the dot-com bubble, investors drove the prices of many internet and technology companies to extreme levels, often despite limited revenue or no profits. The Nasdaq Composite reached a peak of 5,048.62 on March 10, 2000.
After valuations began to fall, financing became harder to obtain and many newly listed companies failed. The Nasdaq lost a large share of its value over the following years, while the collapse spread beyond pure internet businesses to telecommunications and other technology companies.
The dot-com crash is not the same as the 2008 financial crisis. The earlier episode centered on equity valuations and technology firms; the later crisis centered on housing finance, banks, and credit markets.