Why self-certifying as an accredited investor is not enough here
Ticking a box says you believe you qualify. Verification means somebody checked.
There is a real difference between saying you are an accredited investor and having that status verified, and on this platform only the second one opens anything.
The two standards
Self-certification is a box you tick. It is accepted in some contexts and for some offering types, and it carries the obvious weakness: the person with the strongest incentive to qualify is the one making the assertion.
Verification means evidence was reviewed — income documentation, a statement of net worth, or written confirmation from a licensed professional who has done the work.
What this changes for you
Creating an account here does not grant access to any securities offering. It creates an account. Identity verification opens the marketplace so you can see what exists, and verified accredited status is required before you can make an offer on anything.
That sequence is deliberate and it is enforced on the server, not by hiding menu items.
Why the extra step
Because the consequence of getting it wrong lands on the person who should not have been there. Private holdings are illiquid, frequently impossible to value independently, and can lose their entire value. The eligibility rules exist to keep that risk with people positioned to absorb it.