The Dutch East India Company establishes a colony in Taiwan. This can be considered the beginning of the global Dutch Empire, reaching a peak of global influence around 1650 and lasting until 1795. It will be based on economic strength, financial sophistication, a strong navy to protect the empire, trading posts, and colonies spread across the globe. All this will allow the Dutch Guilder to emerge as the reference currency and reserve currency for international trade. The Dutch also boast the first international corporation with a board of directors, logo, and stakeholders: the Dutch East India Company, and the first financial stock exchange: the Amsterdam Stock Exchange, founded in August 1602.
