the widespread success of platforms ranging from Second Life to Roblox shows that people are open to virtual worlds where they can socialize, play games, exchange information and share a few laughs. More recently, the rise of virtual headquarters, Meta’s investment in interactive social software and a handful of acquisitions by Microsoft all signal that the metaverse may also play a role in the future of work.
We’re lucky that there’s still a lack of consensus on what the metaverse might look like in the long term: Dueling perspectives help us think more broadly about use cases that will help define this still amorphous concept and bring it into the mainstream.
We unpacked our initial thoughts on Equity, so listen to the latest episode of the podcast for a jumping off point. Natasha Mascarenhas, Alex Wilhelm and Anita Ramaswamy, our newest cryptocurrency and fintech reporterdiscussed the future of the metaverse and whether its predominant use will be for work or leisure:
- Anita Ramaswamy: In the waterhole of the metaverse, workers can have the best of both worlds
- Natasha Mascarenhas: The metaverse clashes with the future of work
- Alex Guilherme: Inch by inch, the further fusion of work, play and identity
Anita Ramaswamy: At the watering hole of the metaverse, workers can have the best of both worlds
We cannot analyze the future of the metaverse without defining it. For people who don’t live and breathe on the blockchain, the internet in its current state is the metaverse. The metaverse people are talking about today is a layer on top of existing technology, not a departure from it. Ultimately, the companies that will see real gains from the rise of the latest metaverse are the ones that can attract users beyond the native pool of cryptocurrencies — and those are likely to be the big tech platforms through their office focus.