Metaverse projects are currently superstars in the stage of technology and crypto.
The biggest social media platform that is the first love for many of us, Facebook, just recently changed its name to Meta, the prefix of the term “metaverse”. If a brand like Facebook starts talking about Metaverse, then it’s probably time to pay attention to virtual reality. for crypto investors, metaverse projects are a promising opportunity.
The term “Metaverse” is a combination of two prefixes: “meta” that stands for “behind, beyond, or more comprehensive”, and “verse”, which derives from the word “universe”, which stands for “area, or sphere”. In other words, a metaverse builds a bridge between the virtual and the real world by leveraging the power of decentralized finance and NFTs, allowing them to engage closely.
Numerous big brands have already started to embrace the new reality, and many others have taken notice, not wanting to be left behind. As the metaverse market keeps expanding, we will be able to see more great projects get incubated in the digital space. Having said this, here’s a look at my top ten most promising metaverse projects to watch for in 2022.
10 Top Metaverse Projects
1. Bloktopia
The first place, unsurprisingly to many, goes to one of the best-performing IDOs of all time. Bloktopia is an immense, all-around metaverse project that features a virtual 21-Floor tall skyscraper. The first team of the skyscraper is already filled with multiple high-end names in the crypto world, including KuCoin, BinanceNFTs, BitBoy, and many more.
The exact number of floors in the skyscraper is a homage to 21 million coins of the world’s first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin. In Bloktopia, users will be able to create their own avatars, socialize with others, buy virtual land and monetize it through massive ads and retail opportunities, and much more– in other words, they can “learn, earn, play, create”.
Transactions within this metaverse platform are done through its native token, $BLOK, which is backed by Polygon. After a successful fundraising campaign, $BLOK’s price has skyrocketed by more than 750X since its initial VC deal price on BullStarter launchpad. Some of the top features of the Bloktopia metaverse include a native multi-chain wallet, REBLOK (real estate), ADBLOK (that offer passive income through ads), as well as Floor 21’s gaming and penthouse area.
Main features of the Bloktopia metaverse project:
- Various earning opportunities
- Highly effective marketing strategy
- Native marketplace to buy and sell NFTs
- Ability to learn through well-known crypto KOLs inside the metaverse
- Native multi-chain wallet
2. Star Atlas
Star Atlas, the next-level NFT-based metaverse project based on the Solana Network, is the 2nd on our list– and that is for a good reason. The gameplay represents events in the year 2620, where citizens of Star Atlas set to complete to buy, or conquer the land, dominate politically, or collect resources and grow. As users play the game, they will get to earn rewards in the form of tokens.
$ATLAS is the official token Star Atlas metaverse operates with including purchasing of digital assets, crew members, land, and equipment. Additionally, Star Atlas uses $POLIS, another currency that offers in-game governing rights.
Main features of the Star Atlas metaverse project:
- Low-cost in-game transactions
- Governing rights for token holders
- An immersive virtual economy and community
- Earning opportunities through conquering territories and exploration
3. Sandbox
Sandbox has already conquered the hearts of numerous players with limited Ether knowledge or skills on using the newest technology– and so has done to our #3 spot in the list.
Sandbox is a blockchain-based gaming metaverse project where players can buy, sell, earn, and build in-game land plots, which come in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The conjoined forces of DAO and NFT models make the Sandbox metaverse a genuine decentralized platform for a flourishing gaming community.
The project is determined to offer a generous play-to-earn (P2E) model that allows users to create, play, and earn at the same time. Sandbox’es native token is known as $SAND and is the foundation of transactions done within the platform.
$SAND has already been listed by top coin exchanges including Binance, Kucoin, and Huobi, providing easy access for potential investors.
Main features of the Sandbox metaverse project:
- Minimized blockchain interactions and transactions cost through EIP-712 standard
- Native meta transactions
- Generous play to earn (P2E) economy
4. MetaCity
MetaCity by Engine is the world’s first free-to-earn (F2E) NFT-based gaming metaverse project – just one of the many reasons to give it a spot on this list.
While it shares the same name with Windows’ manager open-source software, MetaCity virtual reality is an NFT-based multi-gaming platform rooted on the blockchain. Having conjoined arms with Enjin, a firm that offers NFT mining solutions, MetaCity offers an attractive play-to-earn (P2E) metaverse model.
What’s special about this metaverse project is its unique twists of well-known games like Minecraft and Grand Theft Auto (GTA). In MetaCity, players will be able to play their favorite games and do their favorite activities while earning in-game rewards.
Main features of the MetaCity metaverse project:
- The world’s first free to earn NFT real estate
- Cross-game play to exchange items
- A metaverse-based version of Minecraft
5. Decentraland
When it comes to providing users with total ownership of their virtual assets, there is one virtual world that comes to mind: Decentraland. It’s a metaverse project based on the blockchain, known as a “virtual social world”– in other words, Decentraland is a digital environment similar to the real world. In Decentraland, users are able to socialize with other players, play online games, trade digital creations in marketplaces, attend online events, and much more.
The official token of this metaverse platform, $MANA, is supported by the Ethereum and DAI Networks and is available for trade on the biggest DEX and CEX exchanges including Binance, KuCoin, and Coinbase, among others.
Main features of the Decentraland metaverse project:
- Complete ownership of digital assets
- Trade digital assets in the native marketplace
- Socialize with other players
6. Alien Worlds
According to DappRadar, this gaming metaverse is one of the fastest-growing crypto projects and one of the largest dapps overall– it is the first one to reach 100K users, 1 million, and then 2 million. Alien Worlds is a decentralized metaverse project with an incorporated NFT model. In Alien Worlds, players are set to compete for scarce resources, in a virtual economy focused on planetary conflicts.
Trillium (TLM) is the native token of the platform and is supported by both Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain (BSC) Network. Alien World’s decentralized nature provides $TLM holders with rewards from staking and access to DAO governance decisions.
Main features of the Alien Worlds metaverse project:
- A core of six competing planets or DAOs
- Earn tokens through mining, battling, and special quests
- More than 2.5 million users worldwide
7. Radio Caca
The developers of Tencent and Roblox are ready to hit the market once again through a USM metaverse. Radio Caca is a 3D virtual world where users can purchase and own lands, build stores and digital art galleries, as well as create and play games. This metaverse project operates under a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) model and as such, is governed by like-minded individuals all over the world.
Radio Caca’s native token is known as $RACA. The team is also the exclusive manager of the “Maye Musk Mystery Box” NFT.
Main features of the Radio Caca metaverse project:
- A USM metaverse
- An exclusive manager of the Maye Musk Mystery Box (MPB) NFT.
- Confirmed partnerships with Google AI, Microsoft, and Space X for an advanced metaverse.
- Great rewards from the mini-games
8. Nakaverse
The list of top metaverse projects for 2022 includes another veteran in the industry. Nakamoto Game, which is already known for its attractive game launches, has recently announced its first project into the virtual world as Nakamoto Gaming Metverse, known as Nakaverse.
Nakaverse’s decentralized in-game economy allows players to buy and hold virtual lands, construct buildings, upgrade, and much more. The native token of the platform is known as $NAKA, and it will be the main currency for transactions within the platform.
Main features of the Nakaverse metaverse project:
- Another dimension of engagement for gamers
- Native marketplace for NFTs
- User-friendly platform
9. Starlink
Being the first decentralized virtual world that is 100% community-owned and governed through a DAO, Starlink is a gamified 3D metaverse platform that aims to be the bridge between the crypto world and the professional gaming industry. The platform allows gamers to buy, sell, and trade virtual satellites, spacecrafts, and land while exploring the solar system.
Starlink is set to be the first metaverse crypto project to onboard a Tier 1+ gaming design and development team with more than 20 years of experience. The team members behind Starlink have experience working for major brands such as Disney, Lionsgate Entertainment, Pixar, LEGO, and the PlayStation group.
The $STARL metaverse also aims to provide a crypto launchpad, with the first game on the line being War Nexus of Wyrmbite Studios.
Main features of the Starlink metaverse project:
- Totally community-owned
- Attractive blockchain-based economy
- Tier 1+ gaming design and development team
10. MetaHero
Last in the list, but certainly not least: Metahero is a decentralized metaverse with a unique 3D scanning technology that reshapes actual objects (including humans) into Ultra HD avatars. In other words, Metahero aims to shift physical objects into virtual reality. These objects will be introduced in the form of non-fungible tokens or NFTs.
Even though this metaverse project is quite new, it has already managed to gather more than 95K members in its Telegram community alone, making its native token, $HERO, gain massive attention worldwide. MetaHero’s $HERO can be traded on major crypto exchanges like KuCoin, PancakeSwap, and Gate.io.
Main features of the MetaHero metaverse project:
- Next-gen 3D scanning technology
- Various ways to generate revenue
- Create, buy, and sell NFTs
- Create your own 3D avatar
This article was originally published by Hekuran Gashi on HackerNoon: 10 Metaverse projects I’ll be watching in 2022
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