Interest in the metaverse exploded when Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg changed the name of the social media company to “Meta” in 2021, a rebrand that focused on building the metaverse. Since then, a lot has happened in the space. MetaNews takes a look at some of the best metaverses to watch out for in 2023. The projects are listed in no order of importance.
The metaverse may be thought of as the vision of a post-physical world, wherein life is lived virtually on the internet: “a single, shared, immersive, persistent, 3D virtual space” where humans experience life in ways they could not in the real world.
Also read: Interpol Wants to Police Metaverse Crime. But That May Not Be Easy
According to recent research by Accenture, the metaverse will become a $1 trillion economy by the end of 2025. The findings also show that 55% of consumers are looking to become active users of the metaverse, and 90% want to do so this year. Not a bad time to consider the metaverses currently in vogue, huh?
23 best metaverse crypto projects this year
1. Decentraland
Decentraland (MANA) is one of the most popular metaverse projects for a number of reasons. A user is able to buy their favorite brands, attend virtual events, play games, meet new people, build new business projects, and even gamble once immersed in this virtual playground. Over the past year, Decentraland has incubated several entertainment events, including Fashion Week, Art Week, Metaverse Music Festival, and others.
2. Hyperfy
Hyperfy provides users with a wide range of tools to design and build virtual worlds they can own and sell on the open marketplace. It has attracted many digital creators and artists, and they have constructed many highly immersive spaces for users to explore. You can check out art pieces in a futuristic gallery, play poker inside a warehouse, or laze around in Van Gogh’s bedroom.
3. Axie Infinity
Axie is popular thanks to its cast of cute, animal-like characters. Players can earn cash while enjoying themselves so much that some individuas have found playing Axie a rewarding full-time job. The Ethereum-based game uses AXS and SLP as its native crypto tokens. Each of these has different purposes inside the game, with AXS functioning as a governance token. Players holding the asset get to vote on the game’s future development plans, including updates and treasury balance use.
4. The Sandbox
This Ethereum-based metaverse is driven by original content creation as well as gaming. Sandbox uses a 3D voxel approach that allows players to take full advantage of their imagination and create virtual worlds as they desire.
In other words, anyone immersed in the metaverse can build, own, and monetize their gaming experience using the platform’s native currency SAND. To date, more than 70 million unique worlds and environments inside The Sandbox have been created by players.
5. Substrata
A free and online 3D metaverse, Substrata permits users to build, mingle, and explore. Substrata has a 3D engine that handles tons of dynamic content for the metaverse with high quality. Users need to own a parcel to create an object in the Substrata main world.
6. Gala
Gala is a blockchain-powered gaming platform where players exchange in-game items such as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The Gala Network is supported by users who operate nodes from their own computers. It is home to a number of games focused on building relationships. Gala connects players to games such as Mirandus, Spider Tank, Town Star, Fortified, and Echoes of Empire.
7. Sensorium Galaxy
The Sensorium Galaxy metaverse consists of several worlds with each one acting as a hub dedicated to a different and unique set of experiences. Of the various hubs, its PRISM is the central one and serves as the entrance into music and entertainment. In there, users will get exclusive VR performances by chart-topping artists. Sensorium Galaxy’s in-platform cryptocurrency SENSO helps to power a “fair, transparent, and user-owned decentralized economy.”
8. NFT Worlds
Built on top of Minecraft, NFT Worlds has been developing a game and a metaverse ecosystem since July 2022. It is an open-source platform where users have complete control. The project supports real-time in-game world and land editing, giving users a seamless virtual experience.
9. Metahero
Metahero plans to bring “ultra-realistic digital clones” of one’s 3D-scanned face and body, that users can customize and use in their metaverse activities. Each 3D avatar features a life-like and realistic body type and a “photo-realistic face.” The avatars can also be armed with different skill sets and powers from a range of classes like close combat specialist, spellcaster, and others. Interestingly, Metahero allows users to scan their own bodies and mint the scan as an NFT for use in the metaverse.
10. Somnium Space
The 3D blockchain platform is replete with mind-rattling experiences, and a chance to explore every aspect of the metaverse. It lets users fully use their imagination and customize both their avatars and spaces around them. Somnium offers an NFT Gallery, using VR avatars to attend VR concerts while dancing with a full-body tracking kit. Its metaverse economy is powered by the CUBE token.
11. Tamadoge
Tamadoge is a decentralized play-to-earn platform that has memes at its core. Within the proprietary Tamaverse metaverse, users can buy and sell NFTs that they generate from their vert own designs. Users typically design and breed pets that are issued as NFTs (sound familiar?).
12. Spatial
A 3D metaverse platform, Spatial enables users to create own spaces and share both culture and passion. But how? Through a suite of easy-to-use tools that can be used to to create imaginative content, of course. This platform seeks to ensure that metaverse use cases such as social networking, Web3 marketing, and branded events are realized. Spatial also enables rich VR experiences.
13. FightOut
FightOut is a move-to-earn metaverse fitness space focused on challenging workout routines that can be completed to earn rewards. The application monitors progress users make when they exercise and relies on the data to create NFT avatars for individuals in the FightOut universe. Users can utilize features such as the ‘soulbound’ avatar to contest in both sporting and combat games.
14. Matrix World
A decentralized and free-for-all virtual world, Matrix allows users to interrelate with immersive 3D applications. Users in the Matrix world get to build 3D architectures, hold events, and show off their digital art in the form of NFTs. They can also create 3D dApps. Matrix will be available in beta later this year, while the official public release is expected in early 2024.
15. Star Atlas
With a great storyline, a growing community, and ample monetization opportunities, Star Atlas has its two tokens built on the Solana blockchain – ATLAS and POLIS. ATLAS is pretty much a typical in-game coin that users can rely on to enter battles and explore different worlds, as well as accessing the marketplace. POLIS, on the other hand, lets users experience what the developers say is the game’s “political intrigue” aspect.
16. Bloktopia
This metaverse is a skyscraper-themed VR project where users across a 21-story building can learn, meet new people, do business, and explore different activities. Bloktopia relies on the participation and creativity of each user to complete the building. The project is looking to new ways to create content and income for users who choose to reside in the metaverse.
17. Netvrk
Netvrk provides everything from gaming, education, entertainment, e-commerce, and social networking in the same virtual playground. It can be accessed via PC, mobile, and VR tech. The platform uses Unreal Engine 5 and blockchain tech to provide a unique metaverse experience. Netvrk is expected to launch alpha in Q1 2023.
18. Meta Masters Guild
Meta Masters Guild plans to leverage its native token and seeks to differentiate from others in its class by not focusing on the monetary side of its ecosystem. Instead, the game will be a play-and-earn platform that uses a combination of rewards and a unique gaming experience. Players can win and earn an in-game currency called Gems that works in mobile games. The currency can be acquired from the Meta Masters Guild store and swapped for MEMAG tokens, while other in-game items will be minted as NFTs.
19. Cryptovoxels
This is yet another Ethereum-based metaverse with a Minecraft-like feel. Cryptovoxels comprises a world of digital infrastructures and vast blocks of land that users can continuously build on top of. Players can elect to build inside their virtual properties, including adding posters, signs or audio tracks, or simply sell them.
20. Battle Infinity
An immersive world of P2E gaming awaits users of the Battle Infinity platform. It is a ‘multiverse of metaverse’ based on fantasy sports gaming. As the Battle Infinity project develops, it will host a range of P2E games as well as an NFT marketplace and centralized arena for player avatars.
21 Dual Universe
A sci-fi based virtual game built on Steam, Dual Universe allows players to explore and interact with others in a vast open world. The game features a sandbox environment, allowing players to build, explore, and create their own virtual world. Originally crowdfunded and developed by Novaquark, Dual Universe describes itself as “a first-person Sci-Fi MMO built and driven by players, in a single persistent universe.”
22. Enjin
Enjin is a blockchain-based platform that allows users to create, experience, and monetize content and applications. Known as a social gaming engine, Enjin also features a range of mini-games and activities, making it a fun and engaging experience for players of all ages.
23. Calvaria
Those who immerse themselves in the Calvaria metaverse get to explore a universe beyond the realm of the living. Unlike other P2E games in the market, it offers practical advantages to players with features such as free-to-play, 3D characters, story mode, and others. One of the newest projects on this list, Calvaria is definitely one to watch.
How many of the above metaverses have you tried yet? Did we miss your favourite metaverse? Let us know!
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