The Metaverse is taking the tech world by storm. Many people and groups are scrambling to get their piece of what has been described as a $1 trillion opportunity. In pop culture, movies like Tron, The Matrix, and Ready Player 1 all reference what the metaverse could look like. The Metaverse has attracted many businesses, including the likes of Nike, Adidas, Microsoft, Epic Games, and many more. Notably, Facebook changed the name of the parent company from Facebook to Meta, to symbolize their current and future commitments to the metaverse.

But there is a looming question in many people’s minds: “What is the metaverse?” Simply put, the metaverse can be described as a cyberspace. In the metaverse, you will be able to have 3D interactions with others as if they were really there, similar to an interaction in the real world. This would be done through the use of virtual and or augmented reality, to give users a fully inclusive experience.

As Mr. Uhlig, our computer science teacher describes it, “The big idea is that all the things you’re used to doing on the internet — talking to your friends, sharing memes and videos, playing games, etc. are going to be changing a lot in the future thanks to virtual reality and augmented reality. So soon, instead of staring at a screen, you might be totally immersed in a virtual world that feels much more ‘real’.”

To enter the metaverse, is pretty simple. All you need is a PC, and you can get started. Popular platforms include Decentraland and Sandbox. On these sites, you will be able to experience the metaverse and what it has to offer.

Being a virtual world, it does have some parallels. Notably, the use of currency and ownership rights in this digital world. However, this is done through the use of cryptocurrencies and Non Fungible Tokens (NFTs).

On the topic of cryptos and NFTs, Mr. Uhlig said, “In the real world, the development of society required easy ways to trade with other people and prove you owned your own property. Because of this, we invented money and property rights. Cryptocurrency and NFTs are attempts to do the same thing in the digital world. ”

While NFTs have been popularized for their artwork, however in the metaverse they serve a larger role. NFTs are used in the metaverse to show ownership, similarly to how you may have a deed for a real house, you could have an NFT to show you own your virtual home in the metaverse. This has prompted some to buy virtual land through the use of NFTs.

For better or for worse, we still are a long ways away from a Ready Player One style future where people live online to escape their problems in the real world.