Equities: stocks, which are shares in a company
Securities: Three types of equity—which provides ownership rights to holders; debt—includes government and corporate bonds, certificates of deposit (CDs), and collateralized securities (such as CDOs and CMOs); and hybrids—which combine aspects of debt and equity.
Financial assets: A liquid asset that gets its value from a contractual right or ownership claim. Cash, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and bank deposits. Unlike land, property, commodities, or other tangible physical assets, financial assets do not necessarily have inherent physical worth or even a physical form. Rather, their value reflects factors of supply and demand in the marketplace in which they trade, as well as the degree of risk they carry.
Initial coin offering (ICO) is the cryptocurrency industry’s equivalent to an initial public offering (IPO). A company seeking to raise money to create a new coin, app, or service can launch an ICO as a way to raise funds.