Ecommerce, or electronic commerce, was created by a number of people and companies who contributed to its development over time. The concept of ecommerce first emerged in the 1960s when businesses started using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) to exchange documents like purchase orders and invoices electronically.
However, the first ecommerce transaction is credited to Dan Kohn, who in 1994 sold a Sting CD to a friend over the internet and used encryption software to securely process the payment. The first online marketplace, Amazon, was launched by Jeff Bezos in 1995, and eBay was launched a year later in 1996.
Since then, ecommerce has continued to evolve and grow with the advancements in technology, the rise of mobile devices, and the increasing popularity of social media. Today, ecommerce has become an integral part of the global economy, and it is estimated that global ecommerce sales will exceed $4 trillion by 2025.