DeCentHuman - Nostr Hypermedia

I'm thinking that the US needs to start liquidating some of their Shitcoin Shitpile, before it evaporates away...

US stock holders, what do you really own ? Maybe nothing.. The idea that the DTCC is the "shareholder" of all publicly traded stocks is a bit of a misunderstanding, though it’s rooted in how the modern stock ownership system works. The DTCC, through its subsidiary the Depository Trust Company (DTC), acts as a centralized depository for most publicly traded securities in the U.S. This means it holds the physical or electronic certificates for these stocks on behalf of brokerage firms, banks, and other financial institutions. But it’s not the "shareholder" in the way we typically think of an investor owning shares. Here’s how it plays out: When you buy stock through a broker, you’re the beneficial owner—meaning you have the rights to the stock, like dividends and voting power. However, the stock certificate itself isn’t registered in your name directly. Instead, it’s held in "street name" by your broker, and the DTC is listed as the registered owner on the company’s books via its nominee, Cede & Co. (a partnership entity the DTC uses for this purpose). This setup allows for fast, efficient electronic trading and settlement, avoiding the chaos of transferring paper certificates every time a stock changes hands. So, technically, Cede & Co. (and by extension the DTCC) is the legal titleholder of the vast majority of shares for operational purposes—estimated to cover over 85% of U.S. public company shares. But the DTCC doesn’t "own" them in an economic sense; it’s more like a custodian or record-keeper. The true ownership flows through the chain: DTCC holds for the brokers, brokers hold for you, and you’re the one with the actual stake. This system’s been debated, especially by folks skeptical of centralized control or worried about transparency—like some in the GameStop saga who questioned who really "owns" shares in short squeeze scenarios. But in practical terms, the DTCC’s role is about logistics, not claiming ownership for itself.