Metaverse: how it works, technologies, how to enter and invest

The metaverse is a new immersive virtual environment , focused on social interactions and formed by technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, smart glasses and artificial intelligence.

In the definition of Meta , the new company created from Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, the concept means:

This metaverse will allow people to share immersive experiences over the internet , developing new remote activities that were not possible in the physical world.

Therefore, it will provide a face-to-face feel, even if all of its dynamics are online.

In this way, the virtual and physical worlds will be seamlessly combined, breaking down the barriers between online and offline.

Within the metaverse, it will be possible to meet people, participate in group classes, play games with different competitors, shop, try products and services, collaborate on professional projects and much more.

The idea is that environments and devices that we currently use, such as TVs and smartphones, are transformed into holograms , replacing physical products with digital creations in augmented reality.

What is the Facebook Metaverse?

Facebook's metaverse is a new step in the journey of connections that Mark Zuckerberg's company proposes.

To represent this new era, the founder renamed the company “Meta”.

The idea is to transform the social networks we know today into 3D spaces for social interaction where it will be possible to chat, learn, collaborate and play remotely, but with the same intensity as a face-to-face experience.

To this end, Facebook intends to create a series of technologies and equipment that will make these experiences in the metaverse possible.

How does the metaverse work?

The metaverse works from technologies that create 3D virtual environments that perfectly simulate the physical world and connect people online and offline.

One of the most common practices in this new reality is the use of smart virtual reality glasses that allow you to view these new spaces and interact within them with avatars, always with a first-person view .

Meta has already launched its glasses on the market, the Quest , which is used to play online multiplayer games, do physical exercises and meet friends and family in virtual environments.

Another example of a metaverse in practice is the use of holograms that replace physical equipment, as is expected to happen with the screen devices we use today.

Metaverse Technologies

The metaverse is built from a series of technologies that are evolving more and more.

Check out the main ones:

Blockchain and cryptocurrencies

Cryptocurrencies that are traded on blockchain networks are an essential part of the metaverse and are expected to dominate monetary transactions carried out in this environment.

In this case, a cryptocurrency is a digital currency , that is, a currency that does not exist in physical form – only digital.

In order for these currencies to be created and transacted, a technology called blockchain was created, which functions as a public and decentralized “ledger” where cryptocurrencies are registered and moved.

This is because each cryptocurrency transaction record is a “block” and the ledger can be accessed by everyone involved in the network, like a large public database managed by several users simultaneously.

Furthermore, all information circulating on the blockchain is strongly protected by cryptography , which transforms data into codes and mathematical functions that are practically impossible to decipher.

In short, they are pieces of validated code connected in blocks that are continuously linked, forming a large ledger of digital transactions that is proof against interception.

Therefore, this technology is perfect for ensuring secure and anonymous transactions within the metaverse.

NFTs

To begin with, a token is a record of an asset in digital format, which functions as a contract that guarantees its ownership.

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) cannot be reproduced, making them unique.

From this technology, an entire market of NFTs has developed, which have become valuable, unique and collectible assets.

Virtual Reality

Virtual reality (VR) is the technology behind smart glasses that allows you to create immersive experiences on any system.

In this case, it is people who enter this digital universe through avatars.

In the metaverse, this will be one of the most common experiences, allowing people to meet, play sports, play games, explore new realities, shop together, and enjoy many other possibilities for digital interaction .

Augmented Reality

Using a digital camera, a user can position digital objects over a real image of an environment, as if they were one and the same thing.

If you type the name of an animal species into Google, like “lion,” for example, you’ll get an option to see an African lion up close through augmented reality.

A 3D image of the animal is projected into your room within seconds, allowing for a richer visualization.

This technology will be one of the foundations of the metaverse, as it allows the real world to be merged with the virtual world in an efficient and dynamic way.