Overstock.com, while widely known as an online retailer, has also ventured into the financial technology space, primarily through its subsidiary, Medici Ventures, and the tZERO ATS platform. However, it’s crucial to differentiate between *financing* provided to customers for purchases on Overstock.com and the *financing* that Overstock, as a company, undertakes or facilitates through its various ventures. As a retailer, Overstock *does* offer financing options to its customers. This typically involves partnerships with third-party lenders who provide installment loans or lines of credit, allowing customers to purchase goods and services and pay them off over time with interest. These arrangements help Overstock drive sales by making larger purchases more accessible to a wider range of consumers. The specifics, such as interest rates, loan terms, and creditworthiness requirements, are determined by the lending partners, not directly by Overstock. Customer facing information regarding these financing options can be found on Overstock’s website. Beyond the typical retail financing, Overstock’s foray into the fintech world, particularly through Medici Ventures and tZERO, reveals a different facet of their financial involvement. Medici Ventures was Overstock’s venture capital arm focused on blockchain technology. It invested in numerous blockchain-related companies, demonstrating Overstock’s commitment to exploring innovative financial applications of distributed ledger technology. While Medici Ventures has undergone significant restructuring and downsizing, its historical activity showcased Overstock’s interest in fostering the development of blockchain-based solutions within the financial sector. tZERO, another significant component, is a regulated alternative trading system (ATS) for digital securities. It provides a platform for companies to raise capital through tokenized security offerings (STOs) and enables secondary trading of these securities. This is a form of *financing* for companies seeking to raise capital through the blockchain, and tZERO facilitates that process. For investors, tZERO provides a venue to invest in and trade digital assets. Overstock’s involvement with tZERO demonstrates a willingness to disrupt traditional capital markets by offering a blockchain-powered alternative for raising funds and trading securities. However, Overstock’s investments in these ventures have not always translated into immediate profitability. The company has faced challenges in navigating the regulatory landscape surrounding digital securities and building widespread adoption of the tZERO platform. The restructuring of Medici Ventures also reflects the challenges and adjustments inherent in investing in early-stage, high-risk technologies. In summary, Overstock engages in financing activities on multiple levels. Firstly, it offers financing options to retail customers to encourage purchases. Secondly, through its former Medici Ventures arm and ongoing operation of tZERO, Overstock participated in and continues to play a role in the development and implementation of blockchain-based financial technologies. These initiatives aim to provide alternative methods for companies to raise capital and for investors to participate in the digital asset market, although these ventures are not without their challenges and complexities. While Overstock.com primarily operates as an e-commerce retailer, its ambition to innovate in the financial technology space, particularly using blockchain, highlights a multi-faceted approach to financial engagement.