Although the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the metaverse is often virtual reality and games, these are also two of the most popular misconceptions. Like any new technology, there are many different interpretations of what it is and what it means for the world.
Misconceptions about the meta-universe
1. The metaverse is a game world. That is not true, and the meta-universe is not about gaming. Gaming is an activity that can be done in the meta-universe and many other activities.
2. The metaverse is virtual reality. Saying this is like saying that the Internet is a phone. But your phone is not the Internet: it is a way of interacting with the Internet.
3. the meta-universe will displace the real world. In the movies of the dystopian genre, we will all live in a barren wasteland, "connected" to a virtual environment (i.e., the metaverse). But, in a less dystopian reality, the metaverse will not completely replace the real world. It will be an addition to the real world, a vast virtual realm in which you will do many different things: work, socialize, have fun, create, explore, and so on.
4. The metaverse is a fad. The meta-universe is a fad, just as cars were once a fad, and then the Internet. Of course, the metaverse is still more than five years away from being fully realized, and the technology we need is far from perfect. But already today, there is a very primitive version: people work remotely, communicate virtually, study without leaving home, and find entertainment. Human needs do not change: we are not in danger of ceasing to share, learn, work or find joy. Regardless, as technology advances, how these demands are realized will change.
5. The meta-universe will become a monopoly. Two of the most expensive companies globally, such as Meta and Microsoft, have become so because they are more intelligent than others. But this does not mean that they will be able to control the meta-universe.
One of the main ideas of "Web3" - and Web3 is an iteration of the Internet based on blockchain technology - is the idea of decentralization. Web3 should be owned and controlled by society and the people who create it, not by big organizations like Meta and Microsoft.
The development of the meta-universe will proceed incrementally, both toward centralization and decentralization. Developing a new technological process is highly challenging, and contrary to what idealistic Web3 proponents tell us, it often requires a high degree of centralization in the long run. But thanks to the uniquely open nature of blockchain technology, the process of decentralization is near - the very architecture of blockchain technology provides that perspective. Like today's Internet, the meta-universe will not be run by a single organization but will be a combination of centralization, decentralization, and large and small projects.
So, what are a meta-universe, and what are the reasons for its emergence?
The meta-universe is the future Internet: a large-scale, interconnected and interactive system of real-time interaction, including interconnected virtual worlds, where users can connect, communicate, work, make deals, have fun and create.
A tipping point is coming. The advances of Web2, remote working, and the mass use of hardware and new technologies have reached record levels. There are 5 billion Internet users and 3 billion gamers, and cryptocurrencies are becoming both an infrastructure layer and a significant trend that will fill the gaps:
- digital currency;
- a fully functioning digital economy;
- ownership of digital goods;
- real interoperability of countless interconnected systems.
