Metaverse
Make a wish: New Year’s resolutions from crypto industry insiders
As the new year rapidly approaches, people are thinking about what they can do to make 2022 even better than 2021. With so much anticipation for cryptocurrency in the coming year from government policymakers and market action, it’s no wonder that some in the crypto industry have ambitious resolutions for the new year with how they will help to shape the industry for the better. National governments have taken steps to increase the global adoption of blockchain technology right up to the end of 2021. Late in the year, governments from Australia, Kazakhstan, Brazil and the Eastern Caribbean launched, or made public, their plans regarding central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). The United States Senate heard testimonies from crypto company executives in December, and Thailand’s governme...
Baidu metaverse app would take 6 years for a full launch, VP says
The Chinese internet giant Baidu doesn’t expect to fully launch its XiRang metaverse app soon despite the app’s initial would debut on Monday, according to a senior executive. Baidu vice president Ma Jie believes that it is still “negative six” years to full XiRang’s launch, CNBC reported on Thursday. He noted that the development of the app started in December 2020. Ma spoke of “Create 2021,” Baidu’s upcoming annual developers’ event, which the company promotes as the first Chinese conference to be hosted in a metaverse space through XiRang. The app will reportedly handle up to 100,000 virtual members interacting with each other using metaverse avatars at the three-day conference starting on Monday. The exec noted that Baidu intends to create an open-source platform targeting metaver...
Steve Aoki Will Take to the Metaverse Jungle to Headline Monkey Kingdom NFT Event
Only Steve Aoki has the energy to stir a band of raving apes into a frenzy, and with his new partnership alongside the Monkey Kingdom NFT collection, that’s precisely what he’s going to do. Aoki has been slated to headline the Monkey Kingdom Christmas Party, which will take place in the Cryptovoxels digital metaverse. Aoki has become one of the foremost purveyors of NFTs in the electronic dance music landscape. He’s also a known fan of ape-themed projects specifically, given that he possesses an astounding seven collectibles from the famed Bored Ape Yacht Club. For obvious reasons, Monkey Kingdom has been compared to the iconic BAYC series, and just last month the collection went live with the launch of 2,222 monkey avatars. According to a press release, the artwork ...
Adidas Originals reaches second spot on OpenSea rankings with debut NFT collection
In its debut weekend, the first NFT from Adidas Originals’ “Into the Metaverse” project has generated 11,391 Ether (ETH), worth over $43 million, on OpeanSea. Ranked by trading volume, this collection has earned the second spot on OpeanSea after RTFKT’s Clone X and Takashi Murakami collection. In collaboration with Bored Ape Yacht Club, PUNKS Comic and gmoney, Adidas Originals co-created one digital asset and put up 30,000 copies of the same item for sale on Dec. 17. Almost 20,000 copies of the Phase 1 NFT have been sold so far. Related: Adidas Originals to launch debut NFT collection According to the company, $15.5 million was made during the Early Access mint that had to pause and restart after several hours due to technical issues with Mutant Ape Yacht Club not be...
From the Altai Mountains to the Gobi Desert: Tokenizing the history of nomadic horse riders through Mongol NFTs
Mongolia is a land of endless steppes, hosting mystic Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and fierce horse warriors blessed by the eternal Tengri, the sky god in folk shamanism. For centuries, the harsh, cold climate of the plains forced its people to venture to the world beyond in a series of journeys and conquests. And now, blockchain enthusiasts can hear their stories in the form of nonfungible tokens through the Mongol NFT platform. Since its inception in September, the platform has surpassed 100,000 registered users and close to 400 creators in various stages of their projects. In an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph, Gabit Bazar and Adiya Bayansan, co-founders of Mongol NFT, discussed the future of the project that’s bringing Mongolia (once again) to the world stage.&n...
Going meta: digital cities, attacks on female creators, and more
Following the announcement that Facebook’s parent company would be rebranding in a shift towards the metaverse, many projects have started similar initiatives entering the virtual space, from buying property to testing the limits of what this universe has to offer. Digital cities: Santa Monica and Seoul The Downtown Santa Monica District west of Los Angeles was one of the first real-world areas to allow users to have access to the metaverse through the FlickPlay app. Branded as a metaverse tool, walking around the district seems to be more of a limited augmented reality experience rather than a virtual one, with people collecting digital tokens in the style of Pokémon GO. In contrast, Seoul’s entry into the metaverse is expected to be a 100% virtual environment once launched in early...
The h.wood Group Announces Plans for First-Ever Metaverse Nightclub, Sunset Boulevard’s Bootsy Bellows
Los Angeles hospitality company The h.wood Group is looking to maintain their prestigious status within the world’s next technological frontier: the metaverse. The company, led by John Terzian and Brian Toll, is aiming to take The h.wood Group’s Bootsy Bellows nightclub brand to the digital realm. Working alongside Alex Shultz, the founder of Looks Rare Studio, they’ve already ushered in several promising developments to cement the brand’s digital future. The vaudeville-inspired club interior was notably modeled after Frank Sinatra’s Palm Springs home. Co-owned by actor David Arquette, Bootsy Bellows sits on one of the priciest plots of land in the U.S. on Sunset Boulevard. However, a new kind of land grab is happening befor...
VRJAM Launches Public Token Sale to Revolutionize Metaverse Music Experiences
The concept of the metaverse and speculation about its impact on the future of the music industry have been buzzworthy topics throughout 2021, and those conversations are only just beginning. According to EMERGEN Research, the current $47 billion metaverse sector is expected to continue growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 43.3% through 2028. And with a long runway of upside ahead, VRJAM is wasting no time in an effort to become an early frontrunner in the emerging metaverse concert space. In partnership with Enjin.io, VRJAM is taking a multi-faceted, artist-first approach in delivering turnkey-style NFT solutions and providing a platform for virtual concerts that are easily monetized by performers. VRJAM seeks to bring artists closer to their fans by providing the...
Kàra Màr Is the First AI-Driven Social Artist to Release an Album On Spotify
Kàra Màr, an AI-powered DJ developed by Sensorium Galaxy, has released their debut album. According to the metaverse company, they are the first AI-driven social artist to release a full-length album on Spotify. While we’ve seen AI artists perform live DJ sets and write songs, we’ve yet to receive an entire album released on the streaming giant. The pounding techno album, dubbed Anthropic Principle, comprises eight instrumental tracks that Sensorium Galaxy says connects Kàra Màr directly to their backstory: Meet Kàra Màr, an AI-empowered virtual artist from Sensorium Galaxy metaverse ahead of their first performance in PRISM World. Cutting-edge look, non-binary gender. As their back-story tells, Berlin-based techno DJ and producer make for a special case in ...
What the Metaverse Means for Music Creators (Guest Column)
There is a lot of buzz around the concept of a “Metaverse.” The company formerly known as Facebook recently announced its ambition to create a futuristic, immersive social experience, and to achieve this, it will become a new hub for listening to, discovering and interacting with music and music creators. Undoubtedly, music will be as important to the metaverse as it is to the real world. As Mark Zuckerberg recently told The Vergecast, “You might be able to jump into an experience, like a 3D concert or something, from your phone, so you can get elements that are 2D or elements that are 3D. … I think that this is going to be a really big part of the next chapter for the technology industry, and it’s something that we’re very excited about.” Merging social media, gaming, consumerism and othe...
“Rave Bunnies” Metaverse Project Dangles Carrots to Festival Lovers Looking to Profit From Crypto-Gaming
A new NFT project looking to tap into the $10 billion raving market has arrived—and it’s as colorful and imaginative as one would expect. For those still attempting to wrap their minds around the possibilities of the metaverse, prepare yourselves, because soon there will be the world’s first Bunnyverse to discover thanks to a zany NFT concept called Rave Bunnies. The Bunnyverse combines a virtual music festival experience with play-to-earn-style gaming, an emerging genre of blockchain-based games whereby players have the chance to earn income by way of mere participation. Don’t be fooled by the initial appearances of these fluffy woodland critters. According to a press release, players will need to work to arm their avatar bunnies to the teeth to take on adversa...
3LAU’s NFT Marketplace Nabs $55 Million Investment From The Chainsmokers, Kygo, More
3LAU‘s NFT marketplace has received another huge cash injection. Just months after a $16 millio investment, Royal has announced a $55 million funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz’s a16z Crypto fund. The Chainsmokers, Logic, Kygo, Nas, CAA, Crush Music, Coinbase Ventures, Founders Fund, NEA’s Connect Ventures, and Paradigm all participated, according to reports. “The value of music ownership is vastly misrepresented and undervalued today, but it won’t be for too much longer, as more musicians embrace the web3 ecosystem,” 3LAU wrote in a recent blog post. Royal is a marketplace for musicians that allows them to sell the royalties accrued from their songs to fans. 3LAU recently gave away 50% of the streaming rights to his latest song,&nbs...
