Facebook is no longer Facebook... Now it's Meta. It was enough for Mark Zuckerberg to announce it and BOOM! News about the metaverse, experts preparing analyses in this regard, companies investing in projects to be part of it. The first festival about the metaverse was even held! Apparently it doesn't matter where you look, in all sectors, the metaverse is being talked about.

However, despite the euphoria and the information barrage, many are still wondering what the fuck is the metaverse? That's why since El Dorado we have decided to prepare this guide, in which you can find all the details of it so that you understand it as well as Zuck himself.

Mark Zuckerberg Didn't Invent The Metaverse

While the fever for the metaverse has appeared after the Facebook name change was announced, The term metaverse is not new; it first appeared in the 1970s, when Neal Stephenson coined it in the science fiction novel “Snow Crash”. In the work, the author used the word to define an alternative digital universe to which people came to forget about the problems of the physical world.

Basically, Zuckerberg (and other companies like Nvidia, Microsoft and Sony) are looking to create that virtual universe in which physical and digital reality converge, making it possible for everyday and extraordinary activities to be carried out regardless of physical barriers; creating a mixed reality in which virtual reality with augmented reality.

Based on the Meta promotional video and the latest posts on Zuckerberg's Instagram account, it can be seen that the activities that will be enjoyed in the metaverse will be very varied, since it is hoped to be able to bring virtuality to an experience closer to reality, which has not yet been achieved not even with video calls.

Does the metaverse already exist?

While there is news announcing partnerships and events in the metaverse and there are even platforms such as Decentraland and Roblox (which already claim to provide access to a metaverse in which people can play and create virtual spaces). The reality is that The metaverse we imagined is still several years away from becoming a reality, so current spaces that promise access to the metaverse are mostly limited to offering a VR experience of avatars and personalized spaces with graphics that leave a lot to be desired.

In the case of Meta, you can now access Horizon Worlds, one of the platforms that make up the metaverse of the tech giant; access is free, but It is necessary to have a Facebook account and a pair of Oculus Quest 2 lenses. In this space, users can build social worlds, interact with up to 20 people in the same space, play and attend virtual events such as This Young Though concert.

Even though I already Can you enjoy different initial versions of the metaverse, the reality is that there are still several years left before it feels as real and close as physical reality. The obstacles? The absence of an Internet network that can support a metaverse in which millions and even billions of people are connecteds (a simple delay in internet speed can significantly hinder the experience in the metaverses) and the impossibility of transmitting certain sensations digitally.

In fact, that is the titanic work that both Meta and the rest of the companies are working on, focusing their efforts on creating devices and protocols that allow us to generate a true metaverse experience, since we have to face it; With today's technology it is not yet possible to consolidate the metaverse just as we dream it. Therefore, currently only Can we talk about a proto-metaverse and to say that we are in a situation similar to what happened in the early days of the internet, where the original experience is nothing compared to what, fortunately, we can enjoy today.

If you want Get to know more closely the Status Current of this new universe with mixed reality and witness their advances in the front row, you can explore some of those platforms that are offering experiences close to the metaverse.

It should be noted that although Meta is the company that is being targeted in the spotlight, the different companies that are working on building their own metaverse have different visions about what this new universe should be like. So we still don't know for sure if A single metaverse will prevail (which is what Meta seems to be pointing at) or if Will there be several decentralized metaverses with different functionalities that will be interconnected with each other.

Why do big companies invest in the metaverse?

A new universe means a new economic ecosystem, and that is clear to companies such as Nike, Balenciaga, Nissan, Coca.Cola, among others. In this new digital economy micropayments, cryptocurrencies and NFTS will be the protagonists.

But why would cryptocurrency, NFT and micropayments be used in the metaverse? Well, we can find the answer in video games like the Sims; where you create your avatar, and although you have access to free accessories and costumes to customize it, it must be admitted that the most original options are usually paid.

In the metaverse, the same thing will probably happen, you will have your avatar and it will surely come with a couple of accessories for Default; in addition to that there will be thousands of paid customization options, and, therefore, it will be necessary to make micropayments with some new currency or perhaps with existing cryptocurrencies. In addition, NFTs will be an essential part of acquiring properties, clothing and even works of digital art.

And even if the word micropayment sounds like a small expense, there is already estimations Who estimate that currently proto-metaverses are worth 500 billion dollars and that by the end of the decade the value of the metaverse economy will reach 30 trillion dollars.

Evidently, companies want a percentage of the money generated to be part of their profits: Because of this, Coca-Cola launched its own collection of NFTs in style at an event in Decentraland, Nike created its own metaverse in Roblox to allow users to exercise virtually, and Adidas created a virtual farm in The Sandbox and teamed up with Bored Ape.

Probably, we are only seeing the start of investments of big brands in projects for the metaverse, so over time I'm sure New company announcements will arrive launching projects to guarantee the presence of their products or services virtually.

How to benefit from this new universe?

Due to the current state of open proto-metaverses, the general public has limited ways to harness their potential. At the moment, it is only possible to benefit through the enjoyment of games and virtual experiences (such as festivals and similar events) or working in a sector linked to the development of elements of the metaverse; for example, game design, NFTs, accessories or virtual clothing.

However, there are latent opportunities that can be seized for future economic benefits. For example, you can invest in cryptocurrencies or NFTs whose projects are linked to the metaverse and you can even buy your own lot of land in the metaverse to create whatever you want (this option is available in Decentraland).

And if you think that investing is not your thing, then it is up to you to wait for the metaverse to advance and with it the possibilities within it, since when a new economic ecosystem originates, it is most likely that new jobs will emerge that we may not even be able to imagine in their entirety. Just as today there are those who make money in games like Axie Infinity, in the future there will be those who earn money within the metaverse.

Our grandparents would never imagine that someone would say “I work on the internet and without even having to leave my house”. Perhaps the same thing happens in the metaverse, and over the years we hear more frequently from someone who works in the metaverse in a way of working that doesn't even exist today.

Only time will tell, and while we wait for the future maybe the best thing will be to invest and save in options that allow us to take advantage of that long-awaited new universe.

Disclaimer: This article has been written for informational purposes and is not intended to provide financial advice.