In November 2021, Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook rebranded to ‘Meta’, and soon after, ‘MVRS – Metaverse’ became the ticker under which the company traded from the 1st of December. At the time, the move came as quite a shock as few had anticipated such a drastic change from the tech giant at the time.
The metaverse has since gone on to become a driving force in the tech world and that of crypto at large, especially with the increasing acceptance and adoption of cryptocurrency, its wallets, and much more.
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Without a doubt, demand for metaverse projects has risen dramatically, with more corporations showing unprecedented interest in virtual reality every day. Given the growing corporate fascination with the Metaverse, the general public’s attention is also bound to be drawn to the significant technology which is bound to change the course of our digital lives.
Even so, it doesn’t change the fact that much of the general populace is still in the dark about what the metaverse is, and what it means.
The metaverse essentially refers to an all-encompassing digital universe where people, in the form of avatars, can interact with one another, go about their daily lives, and have similar experiences to those they would have in the real world.
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It’s simpler to think of the metaverse as a hybrid of the physical and digital worlds, which combines the best of both. Virtual marketplaces have flourished, and through exchanges, metaverse crypto has grown in popularity, largely due to its accessibility which has seen the technology accepted by both consumers and investors.
We live in revolutionary times, and the new technologies firms are developing create diverse experiences for users. Which brings us to the meat of the article: below we’ve ranked the 10 best metaverse projects on the market today for you to try out.
10. Illuvium
This pioneering AAA blockchain game offers users an open-world adventure. Illuvium is a ‘Pokémon’-style creature collector and autobattler, playing off of the much loved series to draw in its audience. The platform’s NFTs are collected and created within the game itself.
The decentralized gaming studio combines online gaming and cryptocurrency to achieve what it describes as a P2E (Play to earn), sci-fi, exploration metaverse. Players compete in Illuvium to capture the over one hundred creatures, called ‘Illuvials’, of the alien-themed world.
These Illuvials double as trading power in Illuvium, and can be sold along with collected NFTs on IlluviDEX, the network’s marketplace. Players train and fuse a team to work together to capture as many Illuvials as possible.
Check out other Pokémon-like games in this article:
A Review of the Most Popular Pokémon-Like Virtual Pet Play-to-Earn Games
9. Meta City
Much like Illuvium, Meta City debuted as the first of its kind in blockchain gaming. As the first F2E (free to earn) multi-gaming platform based on NFTs, Meta City provides users with access to cross gameplay, enabling them to buy and sell items.
Meta City has its roots in blockchain, and became the first game in the world to allow its players to earn real estate NFTs. Following its partnership with Enjin, an NFT mining solution firm, the futuristic metaverse project was able to build a P2E (play to earn) model for participants.
Likewise, because the entire metaverse project is based on the same premise as massive gaming title ‘Minecraft’, it was able to create a user-friendly ecosystem, while also leveraging the mainstream appeal of the genre.
8. StarLink
Another first-of-its-kind metaverse project, StarLink may just be the most exciting platform to look out for in 2022. StarLink is a 3D video game with virtual real estate, featuring NFT collectibles powered by blockchain technology.
Following its release in July 2021, StarLink has risen in popularity among lovers of 3D games, especially due to its unique approach to 3D gaming and the metaverse. As the first metaverse to be governed through a DAO, the project is 100% community-led and offers enticing rewards for users.
The StarLink team is reportedly working on a feature that will allow the network to function as a gaming launchpad in the future. While this may appear to be a difficult nut to crack, StarLink is leveraging the experience of its highly skilled team members who have worked with top-tier brands such as Disney, Pixar, Lego, and many others, to reach for its lofty goals.
7. DecentWorld
Having only recently launched, Swiss-owned platform DecentWorld is already a strong player in the industry. Unlike other projects which typically offer fantasy worlds, DecentWorld is a digital real estate platform featuring an in-built, geo-based map that features digital Assets based on the real world. Currently, there are already 18.5 million digital Streets available on the DecentWorld market, and the creators are planning to expand the range of NFT Assets by adding 3D Buildings & Landmarks in the near future.
A particularly unique feature of DecentWorld is its Collections, which are due to be launched this month. These are themed sets of digital NFT Assets that will bring users on exciting, gamified journeys, and will generate yield in the form of the platform’s internal currency – the DWRLD utility token.
The project’s roadmap is packed with new, upcoming releases scheduled for this year, including a P2P Marketplace, a DecentWorld mobile app, the first 3D city with entertaining quests for users to explore, and much more.
6. Star Atlas
Another amazing metaverse to watch in 2022 is Star Atlas—a space-themed game MMORPG (massively-multiplayer online roleplaying game) multiverse.
$ATLAS, one of the two official tokens used in Star Atlas, can be used to purchase digital assets, crew members, land, and equipment. $POLIS, the second native asset for Star Atlas, which also doubles as a governance token, grants players full control over the game, as well as access to the veto power to influence the decision-making processes of the Star Atlas development team.
The company combines blockchain features with gaming fundamentals featured in titans of the MMO genre such as Guild Wars, and other action RPG titles players are used to. Star Atlas uses Solana blockchain technology to provide a unique experience for its users.
5. Meta Hero
This particular metaverse has gained much attention since it went public in June 2021, mostly as a result of its ultra-realistic digitized replicas of real-world objects.
The project brings the physical and digital worlds together using a brand new technology called “3D scanning”, and aims to take cryptocurrency adoption to the next level.
Meta Hero notably wants to catalyze human evolution in a parallel digital universe through the use of its 3D scanning technology, which is capable of analyzing and replicating real-world objects into a new digital form. By recreating objects in real-time in the virtual world, they become non-fungible tokens.
In order to gain access to the best 3D scanning technology, Meta Hero teamed up with Wolf Studio, whose technology has been extensively used in the music, gaming, and fashion industries.
Though the project is still in its early stages, it has already amassed over 95K members in its Telegram group, garnering significant interest for its native coin, $HERO.
The ERC-20 $HERO token from MetaHero can be purchased on major cryptocurrency exchanges like KuCoin, PancakeSwap, and Gate.io. The icing on the cake is that Meta Hero allows its users to customize their avatars as different classes such as ‘Enchanter’, ‘Assassin’, ‘Mentalist’, and more.
4. Axie Infinity
The game preys on the humanity in us all, and does so well with its adorable, animal-like characters. Axie Infinity is arguably the easiest blockchain game of its kind to access. In fact, it is no longer surprising news that many have made playing the game a full-time job, earning big bucks in the process.
Based on the Ethereum blockchain, as are its native cryptocurrencies AXS and SLP, Axie Infinity was inspired by the beloved ‘Pokémon’ series, and this reflects in its characters, ‘Axies’ which appear in 3D.
Axies are bred, raised, and collected by players, after which they can be subsequently traded on the platform’s dedicated marketplace in exchange for a variety of accepted crypto assets, including the platform’s own native assets.
Notably, the two native assets of Axie Infinity have unique uses and are equally as important. Players with AXS have a say in the way in which the game evolves, while SLP (Smooth Love Potion) can be used to breed Axies, and is expected to rise in value this year.
3. The Sandbox
Built on the Ethereum blockchain, The Sandbox is a virtual reality world with particular focus placed upon gaming and the creation of original content. If you have played games like ‘Minecraft’ and ‘Roblox’, then you will feel at home in The Sandbox.
The platform uses a technology known as ‘3D Voxel’, which enables players to create unique worlds straight from their imaginations, allowing them to conveniently build and own the original creative ideas coming straight from their own minds.
While the platform employs the P2E model economy, players can easily monetize their unique experiences using the network’s native asset, SAND.
One of the highlights of the ERC-20 token is that it enables users to make use of Ethereum without really having background knowledge of the coin. As a result, The Sandbox has cleverly attracted and captivated the attention of thousands of players with only surface knowledge of crypto.
2. Ertha
Ertha is another metaverse with an interesting theme which portrays humanity on the brink of extinction. The P2E game features a simulation of the natural world on a larger spectrum, one in desperate need of emergency cleanup.
The gameplay largely involves developing plots and generating revenue in order to right the wrongs of the past through the creation of new societies, economies, governments and the formation of shaky alliances between other members of the playerbase.
Notably, the space allows users to create colonies and cliques similar to those you would see in the real world, and facilitates interaction with other players. Likewise, the platform’s immersive experience makes it an intriguing metaverse concept, as it requires participants to control and manage their own regions, while factoring in other concerns such as defence.
In the process of securing the environment, players can grow to become a dominant force in their area, thereby gaining a larger reputation, and thus access to more benefits in the virtual world. Interestingly, these features are just a peek into the multitude offered by the Ertha metaverse.
1. Decentraland
At number one, to no-one’s surprise, is Decentraland. Possibly the most optimized metaverse out there, and the unofficial starting point when discussing such projects, Decentraland is based on the blockchain, and is referred to as the “virtual social world”. Arguably the best part of Decentraland is the creativity behind it; how it feeds into our subconscious and allows us to be whoever we wish.
Of all the metaverses, Decentraland resembles the physical world the most, and its official token, MANA, is available for trade on exchanges like Binance, Coinbase, KuCoin, and more.
As in the real world, you can do whatever you can imagine in Decentraland, and it all starts with creating an avatar to represent you in the virtual world. Users can also buy wearables, and acquire real estate in the virtual space consisting of over 90,000 land parcels.
Players can rent out whatever items they own to make extra income off them, and while Decentraland provides its users with full ownership of all virtual assets, it is not compulsory to use their in-app wallets.
This means that, should they wish to, users can integrate their preferred third-party digital wallet, the most popular of which is MetaMask.
That brings an end to our list. It is important to note that the metaverse is evolving quickly, so it is nigh impossible to keep up with the newest trends. One thing is for sure though: the increasing need for a virtual social ecosystem will continue to propel the technology to new heights.
It is no longer news that many top brands are seeking to tap into the boundless potential of the emerging technology, and the gaming industry, for one, can use that to build dynamic economies in which players have a reason to hang around, be that the value of assets, or other, exciting other events.
Finally, while there are many metaverses out there, and many more on the way, we’ll be keeping a keen eye on these ten. If you think there are other impressive platforms we missed, or any that you’re particularly excited about, feel free to mention them in the comment section below.
Check also: Top 10 Disruptive NFT Trends to Watch Out for in 2022
