OptiMark's solution is to combine online ordering with total anonymity and secrecy until after a trade is completed.

ECONOMIST: OptiMistic

OptiMark aims to solve the thorniest problem facing investors who want to buy or sell a large chunk of shares.

ECONOMIST: OptiMistic

This is why companies like Amazon.com and newer fish you've barely heard of, such as eBay, Financial Engines and OptiMark, are the crucial stories of our time.

FORBES: What's new, what isn't

But the biggest online threat to traditional exchanges is likely to be OptiMark, a trading system designed for big, institutional investors, due to open its virtual doors on January 29th.

ECONOMIST: OptiMistic