Compare pre-IPO access routes
econ.markets binary contracts vs the three dominant private-market secondaries — side-by-side on every dimension that matters.
Getting pre-IPO exposure looks the same from the outside: you put capital to work on a private company before it lists. The mechanics are radically different. econ.markets is a contract platform — you trade binary outcomes on-chain, with no accreditation wall and no minimum. Forge, EquityZen, and Hiive are regulated secondary marketplaces where you buy real equity (or SPV interests) with accreditation requirements, five-figure minimums, and multi-week settlement windows. Each page below makes the tradeoffs explicit with sourced figures.
Schwab-backed regulated broker-dealer; real equity; $100K direct minimum; 45–60 day settlement.
See full comparison →Morgan Stanley-owned; lowest accredited minimum ($10K); SPV membership interests; 8–11 week settlement.
See full comparison →Live order-book with real bid/ask; no buyer fee on direct deals; US + Canada only; ROFR risk.
See full comparison →What makes econ.markets different
- ✓No accreditation required — Trade without meeting SEC accredited-investor thresholds.
- ✓No fixed minimum — Position size is the trader's choice — put in what you decide.
- ✓Passport-agnostic — US, Asia, and MENA supported from day one. No country-by-country compliance review.
- ✓Two-sided markets — LONG and SHORT contracts on every listed company — the only way to express a bearish view on a private company's IPO timeline.
- ✓On-chain settlement — Enter or exit any time the market is open. No 45-day ROFR, no issuer approval, no lockup.
- ✓Contracts, not shares — Be clear on what you own: a binary contract position, not equity. econ.markets contracts are exposure instruments, not company shares.