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元宇宙的土地到底有什么用?

元宇宙的土地到底有什么用?

LEE CLIFFORD AND MARCO QUIROZ-GUTIERREZ 2021-12-30
宇宙将从根本上改变我们在线互动的方式、品牌进行广告宣传的方式、采用加密技术的速度以及生活众多的其他方面。

随着科学技术的突飞猛进,有些想法明显可以忽略,比如已经关停的Quibi,有些想法则是时候引起广泛的关注了,比如TikTok,最后,而那些数十年难得一见的变革,效力极其强大,已经开始影响我们生活的方方面面。

元宇宙真正成为改变局面的关键因素。虽然尚处在起步阶段,但再明显不过,元宇宙将从根本上改变我们在线互动的方式、品牌进行广告宣传的方式、采用加密技术的速度以及生活众多的其他方面。这篇文章通过对元宇宙的解读,便于我们理解正在发生以及将要发生的变化。

何为元宇宙?

正如《财富》杂志的马尔科•奎罗兹-古铁雷斯所解释的那样,“元宇宙是指少数几家互联网平台所构建的完整互动世界,其中包括虚拟娱乐及商业。在Sandbox及Decentraland这两个最大的元宇宙平台上,“土地”的面积都极其有限,而且这两家公司都表示,他们永远不会创造更多的“土地”。

某些影响深远的变化催生了这些全新平台的出现。

根据The Information的说法,经过15年的运行,第二代互联网即将终结,我们将迎来第三代互联网的黎明,所谓第三代互联网也就是元宇宙。3股强大的力量推动着这样的更迭:加密技术的发展,“借助增强现实及虚拟现实的体验式网络似乎迫在眉睫”,外加新冠疫情加速的文化革命,疫情导致人们更多地在虚拟空间中见面和互动。

“元宇宙”这个词汇从何而来?

《财富》杂志的乔纳森•瓦尼安这样写道:“元宇宙的概念源自尼尔•斯蒂芬森的科幻小说《雪崩》,在小说中,元宇宙是指可以通过虚拟现实访问的数字宇宙。近期问世的众多科幻作品,均经常使用这类情节,比如《黑客帝国》系列电影以及《头号玩家》原著小说和电影。”

Facebook在元宇宙中扮演什么角色?

该公司不过是想要主宰元宇宙的众多玩家之一,但它确实野心勃勃。今年早些时候,该公司正式更名为Meta(意思是元),加大了投入。正如《财富》杂志所写的那样:“扎克伯格声称元宇宙是社交网络接下来的发展方向,它将超越静态用户资料,使人们不仅仅只能发表评论文字和照片。佩戴虚拟现实头盔或者增强现实眼镜,就能进入元宇宙,将数字空间叠加到物质世界上,还可以借助尖端的投影系统,向现实世界发送逼真的全息图像。”

如何进入元宇宙?

这类问题最好由20多岁的年轻人来回答。幸运的是,《财富》杂志有一位出色的员工,费莉西亚·侯。在她的文章“22岁女孩教你如何进入元宇宙”中,她一步一步地解析自己如何进入元宇宙并开始探索。(剧透:在旅行过程中,她找到一家爵士俱乐部,但却不知道如何让自己的虚拟形象坐到沙发上……很显然,这些都需要练习。)

在元宇宙中能做些什么?

在元宇宙中所能做的事情每天都在增加。眼下最流行的事情是探索世界,设计虚拟角色,以及欣赏数字艺术。在Sandbox及Decentraland这样的数字世界,你也可以玩游戏,或者自己设计游戏。如果你在Decentraland拥有土地,便可以在自己的土地上创建游戏,供你和其他用户玩。拥有阿尔法通行证或者Sandbox测试版门票的用户,也可以玩游戏,或者参加虚拟赌场之夜及数字音乐会等活动,截止时间是12月20日测试结束。

如果你喜欢虚拟消费,请查看《财富》的元宇宙购物指南。哦,就像《财富》杂志本周报道的那样,如果你供职的公司紧跟科技潮流,很可能已经推出回归工作的计划——当然,是在元宇宙。

可以在元宇宙里购买房地产吗?

没错,有人在抢购土地。

奎罗兹-古铁雷斯这样写道:“在大多数平台上,“土地”的地块在构成整个元宇宙世界的地图上用X和Y坐标表示。每个地块都转化为非同质化代币,由平台直接出售给消费者,或者在二级市场出售,其中最受欢迎的二级平台是OpenSea。一旦使用非同质化代币购买地块,销售记录便会存储在给定平台的区块链上,购买者也会成为元宇宙该地块的唯一所有者。”

元宇宙的土地价格如何?

“OpenSea的数据显示,截止到周三,Decentraland地价最低约为3.087以太币,相当于13675美元。根据OpenSea数据,周三上午,Sandbox最便宜的地块价格在2.968以太币左右,约合13135美元。”奎罗兹-古铁雷斯写道。但是,跟在现实世界中一样,预计土地价格会随着需求而波动。一个明显的例子是:著名说唱歌手史努比·狗狗在Sandbox上创建了史努比宇宙,他刚刚以45万美元的价格将成为他虚拟世界邻居的权利出售。

如何购买元宇宙的土地?

如果你想在元宇宙购买土地,就必须习惯使用加密技术。

奎罗兹-古铁雷斯在《财富》杂志撰文,详细分析了如何在元宇宙中购买数字房产:“购买土地之前,必须设置加密钱包。购买元宇宙土地最经常使用的加密钱包是MetaMask,目前已经得到Sandbox、Decentraland和OpenSea的认可。设置MetaMask钱包时,要在手机上或者通过谷歌Chrome浏览器扩展程序下载应用。下载MetaMask(或其他加密钱包)后,首先创建密码,还可能获得之后用来验证身份的短信密码。一旦创建了加密钱包,就可以在Sandbox或Decentraland上开通账户。请记住,投资某个元宇宙平台之前,摸清该平台的情况至关重要。”

“拥有钱包后,就需要将美元(或其他货币)兑换成加密货币。使用借记卡或信用卡,可以在MetaMask的谷歌Chrome浏览器扩展里轻松购买到以太币,以太币也是购买元宇宙地产最常用的加密货币。MetaMask将引导用户到加密货币承兑商Wyre或Transak那里完成兑换。请记住,用美元兑换以太币(或其他类型的加密货币)时,Wyre和Transak都会收取手续费。”

若拿不定主意在哪里购买土地,众多代理商和专家,包括NFT Property Group、MetaMetric Solutions和Metaverse Group,会现身说法,帮你搜寻合适的目标。WeMeta是另一个可以帮你搜寻购买目标的网站。

元宇宙的土地有什么用?

最近,《财富》杂志报道了一家帮助客户在元宇宙扩建新地块的建筑公司:“伴随着元宇宙土地的出售,还出现了一个新问题,那就是买下数字土地之后要做些什么?一家名为Voxel Architects的公司将这个问题变成了一项业务,该公司今年已经设计了大约40座数字建筑,与苏富比拍卖行和ConsenSys Software等客户展开合作,最受青睐的加密钱包MetaMask便出自后者之手。”

其业务蒸蒸日上。Voxel Architects首席设计官乔治·比莱卡表示:“4个月前,公司每周收到大约10份设计报价的咨询,而现在,这一数字已经增加到每周近30份。”Voxel Architects母公司NFT Studios的首席执行官莱昂德罗·贝罗尼透露,这些项目的价格从1万美元到30万美元不等,价格高低取决于项目的规模、所包含的功能数量以及建造它所需的时间。

借助每个平台的本地构建应用程序,也可以自己建构这些数字世界中的大多数空间。在Sandbox,可以使用其游戏制作程序;而在Decenttraland,则可以使用游戏内置的建筑工人在你所拥有的土地上大兴土木。

如何保护在元宇宙购买的一切?

若在现实世界拥有房产,很可能会为房子买保险,也可能设置安全系统。而现在,要保护在元宇宙所拥有的一切,最好的办法就是使用硬件钱包。“硬件钱包是实体USB驱动设备,从钱包中转出资金或非同质化代币时,可以添加两步验证,确保土地不会遭到网络钓鱼攻击。用户还可以利用驱动设备访问土地,在额外保护下从全球任何一台计算机安全地出售土地。”奎罗兹-古铁雷斯写道。

知名品牌如何利用元宇宙?

一场购物狂欢已经在这里展开。据彭博社报道,古驰、巴黎世家以及巴宝莉等品牌均在元宇宙布局,为他们的顾客在这个虚拟世界提供浏览、购物甚至闲逛的空间:“知名品牌已经在元宇宙占据一席之地。比如,古驰在在线游戏Roblox搭载快闪店“古驰花园”,出售该品牌的商品,一款包包能够卖到4000美元现金。耐克也宣布与该平台建立深度合作伙伴关系,以该公司位于俄勒冈州的总部为模型,创建名为Nikeland的虚拟世界,出售独家商品。今年9月,巴黎世家在射击游戏“堡垒之夜”上推出了一系列服装。若想购买这些“皮肤”或者说游戏角色的服装,得使用“堡垒之夜”的通用货币V币购买,而V币则需要花真钱才能买到。

元宇宙能达到多大规模?

上了几岁年纪的朋友们,应该还记得“第二人生”这款游戏,21世纪前10年,这款类似“模拟人生”的游戏所营造出的世界曾经短暂地吸引了人们的注意力。虽然它从未成为主流,但仍然拥有一批忠实的粉丝。但20年过去,交互作用的各种力量——更不用说在此期间巨大的技术飞跃——使元宇宙绝不会仅仅是个利基产品。据彭博社报道,今年11月,“堡垒之夜”的制作公司Epic Games首席执行官蒂姆·斯威尼表示,元宇宙极具潜力,有望成为世界经济中价值数万亿美元的重要组成部分。”(财富中文网)

译者:袁枫

随着科学技术的突飞猛进,有些想法明显可以忽略,比如已经关停的Quibi,有些想法则是时候引起广泛的关注了,比如TikTok,最后,而那些数十年难得一见的变革,效力极其强大,已经开始影响我们生活的方方面面。

元宇宙真正成为改变局面的关键因素。虽然尚处在起步阶段,但再明显不过,元宇宙将从根本上改变我们在线互动的方式、品牌进行广告宣传的方式、采用加密技术的速度以及生活众多的其他方面。这篇文章通过对元宇宙的解读,便于我们理解正在发生以及将要发生的变化。

何为元宇宙?

正如《财富》杂志的马尔科•奎罗兹-古铁雷斯所解释的那样,“元宇宙是指少数几家互联网平台所构建的完整互动世界,其中包括虚拟娱乐及商业。在Sandbox及Decentraland这两个最大的元宇宙平台上,“土地”的面积都极其有限,而且这两家公司都表示,他们永远不会创造更多的“土地”。

某些影响深远的变化催生了这些全新平台的出现。

根据The Information的说法,经过15年的运行,第二代互联网即将终结,我们将迎来第三代互联网的黎明,所谓第三代互联网也就是元宇宙。3股强大的力量推动着这样的更迭:加密技术的发展,“借助增强现实及虚拟现实的体验式网络似乎迫在眉睫”,外加新冠疫情加速的文化革命,疫情导致人们更多地在虚拟空间中见面和互动。

“元宇宙”这个词汇从何而来?

《财富》杂志的乔纳森•瓦尼安这样写道:“元宇宙的概念源自尼尔•斯蒂芬森的科幻小说《雪崩》,在小说中,元宇宙是指可以通过虚拟现实访问的数字宇宙。近期问世的众多科幻作品,均经常使用这类情节,比如《黑客帝国》系列电影以及《头号玩家》原著小说和电影。”

Facebook在元宇宙中扮演什么角色?

该公司不过是想要主宰元宇宙的众多玩家之一,但它确实野心勃勃。今年早些时候,该公司正式更名为Meta(意思是元),加大了投入。正如《财富》杂志所写的那样:“扎克伯格声称元宇宙是社交网络接下来的发展方向,它将超越静态用户资料,使人们不仅仅只能发表评论文字和照片。佩戴虚拟现实头盔或者增强现实眼镜,就能进入元宇宙,将数字空间叠加到物质世界上,还可以借助尖端的投影系统,向现实世界发送逼真的全息图像。”

如何进入元宇宙?

这类问题最好由20多岁的年轻人来回答。幸运的是,《财富》杂志有一位出色的员工,费莉西亚·侯。在她的文章“22岁女孩教你如何进入元宇宙”中,她一步一步地解析自己如何进入元宇宙并开始探索。(剧透:在旅行过程中,她找到一家爵士俱乐部,但却不知道如何让自己的虚拟形象坐到沙发上……很显然,这些都需要练习。)

在元宇宙中能做些什么?

在元宇宙中所能做的事情每天都在增加。眼下最流行的事情是探索世界,设计虚拟角色,以及欣赏数字艺术。在Sandbox及Decentraland这样的数字世界,你也可以玩游戏,或者自己设计游戏。如果你在Decentraland拥有土地,便可以在自己的土地上创建游戏,供你和其他用户玩。拥有阿尔法通行证或者Sandbox测试版门票的用户,也可以玩游戏,或者参加虚拟赌场之夜及数字音乐会等活动,截止时间是12月20日测试结束。

如果你喜欢虚拟消费,请查看《财富》的元宇宙购物指南。哦,就像《财富》杂志本周报道的那样,如果你供职的公司紧跟科技潮流,很可能已经推出回归工作的计划——当然,是在元宇宙。

可以在元宇宙里购买房地产吗?

没错,有人在抢购土地。

奎罗兹-古铁雷斯这样写道:“在大多数平台上,“土地”的地块在构成整个元宇宙世界的地图上用X和Y坐标表示。每个地块都转化为非同质化代币,由平台直接出售给消费者,或者在二级市场出售,其中最受欢迎的二级平台是OpenSea。一旦使用非同质化代币购买地块,销售记录便会存储在给定平台的区块链上,购买者也会成为元宇宙该地块的唯一所有者。”

元宇宙的土地价格如何?

“OpenSea的数据显示,截止到周三,Decentraland地价最低约为3.087以太币,相当于13675美元。根据OpenSea数据,周三上午,Sandbox最便宜的地块价格在2.968以太币左右,约合13135美元。”奎罗兹-古铁雷斯写道。但是,跟在现实世界中一样,预计土地价格会随着需求而波动。一个明显的例子是:著名说唱歌手史努比·狗狗在Sandbox上创建了史努比宇宙,他刚刚以45万美元的价格将成为他虚拟世界邻居的权利出售。

如何购买元宇宙的土地?

如果你想在元宇宙购买土地,就必须习惯使用加密技术。

奎罗兹-古铁雷斯在《财富》杂志撰文,详细分析了如何在元宇宙中购买数字房产:“购买土地之前,必须设置加密钱包。购买元宇宙土地最经常使用的加密钱包是MetaMask,目前已经得到Sandbox、Decentraland和OpenSea的认可。设置MetaMask钱包时,要在手机上或者通过谷歌Chrome浏览器扩展程序下载应用。下载MetaMask(或其他加密钱包)后,首先创建密码,还可能获得之后用来验证身份的短信密码。一旦创建了加密钱包,就可以在Sandbox或Decentraland上开通账户。请记住,投资某个元宇宙平台之前,摸清该平台的情况至关重要。”

“拥有钱包后,就需要将美元(或其他货币)兑换成加密货币。使用借记卡或信用卡,可以在MetaMask的谷歌Chrome浏览器扩展里轻松购买到以太币,以太币也是购买元宇宙地产最常用的加密货币。MetaMask将引导用户到加密货币承兑商Wyre或Transak那里完成兑换。请记住,用美元兑换以太币(或其他类型的加密货币)时,Wyre和Transak都会收取手续费。”

若拿不定主意在哪里购买土地,众多代理商和专家,包括NFT Property Group、MetaMetric Solutions和Metaverse Group,会现身说法,帮你搜寻合适的目标。WeMeta是另一个可以帮你搜寻购买目标的网站。

元宇宙的土地有什么用?

最近,《财富》杂志报道了一家帮助客户在元宇宙扩建新地块的建筑公司:“伴随着元宇宙土地的出售,还出现了一个新问题,那就是买下数字土地之后要做些什么?一家名为Voxel Architects的公司将这个问题变成了一项业务,该公司今年已经设计了大约40座数字建筑,与苏富比拍卖行和ConsenSys Software等客户展开合作,最受青睐的加密钱包MetaMask便出自后者之手。”

其业务蒸蒸日上。Voxel Architects首席设计官乔治·比莱卡表示:“4个月前,公司每周收到大约10份设计报价的咨询,而现在,这一数字已经增加到每周近30份。”Voxel Architects母公司NFT Studios的首席执行官莱昂德罗·贝罗尼透露,这些项目的价格从1万美元到30万美元不等,价格高低取决于项目的规模、所包含的功能数量以及建造它所需的时间。

借助每个平台的本地构建应用程序,也可以自己建构这些数字世界中的大多数空间。在Sandbox,可以使用其游戏制作程序;而在Decenttraland,则可以使用游戏内置的建筑工人在你所拥有的土地上大兴土木。

如何保护在元宇宙购买的一切?

若在现实世界拥有房产,很可能会为房子买保险,也可能设置安全系统。而现在,要保护在元宇宙所拥有的一切,最好的办法就是使用硬件钱包。“硬件钱包是实体USB驱动设备,从钱包中转出资金或非同质化代币时,可以添加两步验证,确保土地不会遭到网络钓鱼攻击。用户还可以利用驱动设备访问土地,在额外保护下从全球任何一台计算机安全地出售土地。”奎罗兹-古铁雷斯写道。

知名品牌如何利用元宇宙?

一场购物狂欢已经在这里展开。据彭博社报道,古驰、巴黎世家以及巴宝莉等品牌均在元宇宙布局,为他们的顾客在这个虚拟世界提供浏览、购物甚至闲逛的空间:“知名品牌已经在元宇宙占据一席之地。比如,古驰在在线游戏Roblox搭载快闪店“古驰花园”,出售该品牌的商品,一款包包能够卖到4000美元现金。耐克也宣布与该平台建立深度合作伙伴关系,以该公司位于俄勒冈州的总部为模型,创建名为Nikeland的虚拟世界,出售独家商品。今年9月,巴黎世家在射击游戏“堡垒之夜”上推出了一系列服装。若想购买这些“皮肤”或者说游戏角色的服装,得使用“堡垒之夜”的通用货币V币购买,而V币则需要花真钱才能买到。

元宇宙能达到多大规模?

上了几岁年纪的朋友们,应该还记得“第二人生”这款游戏,21世纪前10年,这款类似“模拟人生”的游戏所营造出的世界曾经短暂地吸引了人们的注意力。虽然它从未成为主流,但仍然拥有一批忠实的粉丝。但20年过去,交互作用的各种力量——更不用说在此期间巨大的技术飞跃——使元宇宙绝不会仅仅是个利基产品。据彭博社报道,今年11月,“堡垒之夜”的制作公司Epic Games首席执行官蒂姆·斯威尼表示,元宇宙极具潜力,有望成为世界经济中价值数万亿美元的重要组成部分。”(财富中文网)

译者:袁枫

As tech trends go, there are the obviously skippable ideas (Quibi), the ones you finally admit it's time to pay attention to (we see you, TikTok), and, finally, the small basket of once-in-a-generation changes that are so powerful that they start to exert a gravitational pull on multiple aspects of our lives.

The metaverse is officially a game-changer. Though in its infancy, it's clear that the metaverse will radically change how we're able to interact online, how brands advertise, how fast crypto is adopted, and any number of other facets of life. Here's an explainer to help understand what changes are underway—and what's to come.

What is the metaverse?

As Fortune's Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez explains, "The metaverse refers to a handful of platforms on the internet that have built interactive worlds complete with virtual entertainment and businesses. There are only a limited number of plots of “land” in the two biggest metaverse platforms, the Sandbox and Decentraland, and both companies have said that they will never create more."

The launch of these new platforms is underpinned by some powerful changes.

According to The Information, after a 15-year run we are nearing the end of Web 2.0 and entering the dawn of Web 3.0., aka the metaverse. This is being driven by three powerful forces: the rise of crypto, the "the seeming imminence of the experiential web via augmented and virtual reality," and a cultural revolution accelerated by COVID which spurred people to meet and interact in virtual spaces.

Where does the term metaverse come from?

As Fortune's Jonathan Vanian writes, "The concept of the metaverse was popularized in the science-fiction novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson to refer to a digital universe that can be accessed through virtual reality. It’s a frequently used plot point in many recent works of science fiction, such as the Matrix films and the novel and movie Ready Player One."

What's Facebook's role in the metaverse?

The company is just one player that wants to dominate the metaverse, but it has huge ambitions. And it doubled down on its bets earlier this year when it officially changed its name to Meta. As Fortune wrote: "Zuckerberg says the metaverse is the next evolution for social networking, moving past static user profiles that let people merely post comments and photos. To reach it, people would need to wear VR headsets or augmented reality glasses that superimpose the digital realm onto the physical world. There could also be lifelike holograms beamed into the real world from cutting-edge projection systems."

How can I enter the metaverse?

This is one of those questions that is best answered by a 20-something. Luckily Fortune has a terrific one on staff, Felicia Hou. In her piece "A 22-year-old breaks down how to join the metaverse," she breaks down step by step how she entered the metaverse and started exploring. (Spoiler: On her travels she found a jazz club to hang out in, but couldn't figure out how to sit her avatar down on a couch... These things takes practice, apparently.)

What can I do in the metaverse?

The possibilities of what a person can do are expanding every day. Right now some of the most popular things to do are explore the world, design a virtual avatar, and view digital art. In some digital worlds such as the Sandbox and Decentraland you can also play games or design them yourself. If you own land in Decentraland, you can build games hosted on your land for you and other users to play. Users with an alpha pass, or ticket to a test version of the Sandbox, can also play games until the test version ends on Dec. 20. You can also attend events such as virtual casino nights or digital concerts.

If virtual consumption is your thing, check out Fortune's guide to shopping in the metaverse. Oh, and if you work at a tech-forward company, as Fortune reported this week, your company may already be rolling out return-to-work plan—in the metaverse, of course.

Can you buy real estate in the metaverse?

Oh yes, there is a land grab going on.

Quiroz-Gutierrez writes that, "On most platforms, plots of “land” are represented by X and Y coordinates on a map that makes up the entirety of a metaverse world. Each plot is turned into an NFT, which is sold either directly by the platform to a consumer, or by a secondary marketplace, the most popular of which is OpenSea. Once you buy a plot through an NFT, your sale is recorded on the blockchain of the given platform, and you become the sole owner of that piece of land within the metaverse."

How much does metaverse land cost?

"The minimum price for land in Decentraland, as of Wednesday, was about 3.087 Ether, or the equivalent of $13,675, according to OpenSea. The cheapest piece of land in the Sandbox on Wednesday morning was worth about 2.968 Ether, according to OpenSea, or about $13,135," writes Quiroz-Gutierrez. But prices are expected to fluctuate with demand, just like in the real world. One out-there example: Snoop Dogg, who is building out the Snoopverse on the Sandbox, just sold the rights to be his virtual next door neighbor for $450,000.

How do you pay for land inside the metaverse?

You've got to get comfortable with crypto if you want to be a landowner.

Writing in Fortune, Quiroz-Guiterrez breaks down how to buy digital real estate in the metaverse: "Before you buy land, you have to set up a crypto wallet. One wallet commonly used to buy land is called MetaMask, and it’s accepted by the Sandbox, Decentraland, and OpenSea. To set up a MetaMask wallet, you will need to download the app on your phone or via the Google Chrome browser extension. After you download MetaMask (or another kind of crypto wallet), you will be asked to create a password and will likely be given a secret phrase which you’ll use to verify your identity later on. Once you’ve created a crypto wallet you can use that wallet to open an account on the Sandbox or Decentraland. And remember, it’s important to explore a given metaverse platform before you invest in it."

"Once you get a wallet, you will need to exchange U.S. dollars (or whatever currency you’re using) for a cryptocurrency. You can easily buy Ether, the most commonly used crypto for land purchases, in the MetaMask Google Chrome extension using your debit or credit card. MetaMask will direct you to the crypto exchanges Wyre or Transak to complete the purchase. Keep in mind that both Wyre and Transak charge a processing fee for converting U.S. dollars to Ether (or other types of cryptocurrencies)."

If you need help figuring out where to buy land, a crop of brokers and specialists have popped up to help you with your search, including NFT Property Group, MetaMetric Solutions, and Metaverse Group. WeMeta is another site that will let you scout properties.

What do you do with metaverse land?

Fortune recently wrote about an architecture firm that is helping clients build out their new land parcels: "Along with those real estate sales, a new question has emerged: What do you do with a piece of digital land after you buy it? One company, Voxel Architects, turned that question into a business and has designed about 40 digital buildings this year, working with clients like Sotheby’s auction house and ConsenSys Software, the creator of the popular crypto wallet MetaMask."

And business is booming. "While before the company got about 10 requests for design quotes per week as recently as four months ago, that number has jumped to nearly 30 per week, said George Bileca, chief design officer at Voxel Architects. The price of a project can range from $10,000 to $300,000, said Leandro Bellone, CEO of Voxel Architects’ parent company NFT Studios, depending on the scale, the number of functionalities included, and the time needed to build it."

You can also build in most of these digital worlds yourself by using each platform's native build application. On the Sandbox you can build using its gamemaker and Decentraland you can use the in-game builder to create structures on lands you own.

How can you protect your metaverse purchase?

If you own a home in the real world you probably have insurance and maybe a security system. For now, the best you can do to protect your metaverse holdings is use a hardware wallet. "A hardware wallet is a physical USB drive that you can use to protect your land from phishing attempts by adding two-step verification for whenever funds or NFTs are transferred out of your wallet. You can also use the drive to access the land to sell it securely from any computer in the world with an extra layer of protection," writes Quiroz-Guiterrez.

How are brands using the metaverse?

There's already a shopping spree happening. As Bloomberg reports, brands like Gucci, Balenciaga, and Burberry are building out virtual worlds where customers can browse, shop, and hang out: "Already, big names are staking a claim in the metaverse. The Gucci Garden, for example, a pop-up on Roblox that sold the brand’s designs, saw one bag fetch $4,000 in real-world cash. Nike Inc., too, announced an in-depth partnership with the platform to create Nikeland, a virtual world modeled after the company’s headquarters in Oregon that offers exclusive goods for sale. In September, Balenciaga brought out a collection of clothes in Fortnite. These “skins,” or outfits for game characters, are purchased using V‑Bucks, the currency of the Fortnite world. (V‑Bucks cost real money to obtain.)"

How big can the metaverse get?

Some of us are old enough to remember Second Life, the SIMS-like world that briefly captured imaginations in the 2000s. Though it never went mainstream, it still has some devoted followers. But the forces at work two decades later—not to mention the huge technological leaps in the intervening years—promise to make the metaverse much more than a niche offering. "Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games Inc., which makes Fortnite, said in November that the metaverse has the potential to become a multitrillion-dollar part of the world economy," according to Bloomberg.

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