NFT Meta Landing Page

A guide to

NFTs

Web3

NFTs

metaverse

Web3

NFTs

History of the web

metaverse

Sara Robertson

Global VP, Disruption

Platform economy

Information economy

Token economy

In theory, because people and organizations can control and track what they have created and own, they can potentially be compensated for any of it, including their own data. A blockchain network also enables trustless collaboration and shifts the ownership of data and networks away from centralized providers and distributes it across the entire user base.

Token-based

What is Web3?

What does it all mean for marketers?

What is an NFT?

With the latest version of the Internet, people can share directly with each other at massive scale without having to go through any centralized platform. A shared object or an asset can come with a unique identifier, or token, that remains attached to it when anyone accesses, shares, or sells it. Because that identifier is attached, someone can create something and have their ownership travel with it. Web3, as it’s known, is the ultimate peer-to-peer network. “Tokens are for the Web3 what websites were for the WWW in the 1990s,” says Shermin Voshmgir, author of Token Economy. Voshmgir says that tokens can represent any real or virtual asset or access right, including gold, diamonds, or a fraction of a piece of art, and blockchain technologies are the backbone of Web3 - the next substantial evolution of our relationship to the internet.

Soon, platforms like WordPress (for building websites); YouTube and Facebook (for sharing); Google (for search); and Amazon (for commerce) gained prominence. Many also gained a big measure of control. People had to log in through them and work via their operating systems to be able to communicate and share across the network. Cloud computing infrastructures and API networks enabled this new way of working, creating, and collaborating. The rise of mobile devices and the growth of the creator economy also acted as accelerants to this era, dubbed “Web 2.0.”

In the early 1990s, brilliant scientists and technicians created browsers to connect to the internet that enabled what would become the World Wide Web (WWW). Web browsers relied on early versions of hypertext markup language or HTML. That code, developed at CERN by Sir Timothy Berners-Lee, let someone send pages of information across the internet and instruct the receiving browser on how to render it with the same basic layout and functionality on computer screens anywhere in the world.

Blockchains & sidechains

Identities and transactions

File storage

Off-chain data protocols

Indexing & querying

Client

Metaverse

"Web3” was first coined in 2014 by Gavin Wood, a co-founder of the Ethereum blockchain, when referring to the concept of a decentralized, blockchain-based internet.”

- Digiday

“With Web 1 we had the capacity to read online static web pages. With Web 2 and the creation of social media we could not only read content, but also write and distribute it,” "Web 3 lets you not only read and write content, but also own digital assets in the digital world – a piece of the web.”

- Marie Lermite, Senior Consultant at Chappuis Halder & Co.

User-based

Decentralized

A decentralized network is a network that doesn't operate on a traditional server-client setup. Instead, Web3 operates on a blockchain. A blockchain is a peer-to-peer network that operates similarly to the cloud, except instead of using servers, information is spread across an extensive web of "nodes." A node can be a wide range of devices, including standard PCs, as long as they are configured properly. Since all the information stored on a blockchain is replicated across all nodes at all times, the network no longer relis on a centralized resource to maintain and secure the data.

A token is a digital record that contains the identifying information for any type of data stored on the blockchain. Usually the token includes a unique ID code, the owner of the token, and a URL (which links to a text file containing further identifying data about the token, usually in a JSON file).

The enhanced security and transparency of the blockchain, along with the democratized ability to track and control data without relying on centralized powers, gives Web3 greater potential to enable people to create decentralized applications, cryptocurrencies, and other unique, disruptive digital innovations that have a growing effect on traditional business.

Future-friendly

“Web3 enables us to do very complex activities with very little code.”

- Sara Robertson, Global VP of Disruption, Xaxis

An NFT (non-fungible token) transforms a digital file into a digital asset. It is created and stored on blockchain network and contains metadata that shows the provenance, or ownership history, of a specified asset. The data on an NFT can be viewed by anyone, anywhere, all the time. It is perpetually updated in real time in all locations across the blockchain. When an NFT is created to identify and authenticate a digital work of art, or any digital item, it acts like a certificate of authenticity. Each NFT is completely unique, which is what adds rarity and collectability to each NFT and the asset(s) connected to it.

The blockchain is the means by which tokens are created, stored, tracked, shared, and exchanged. Sidechains are separate blockchains that connect and run parallel to a main blockchain to allow transactions and exchanges to occur.

Development environment

Since blockchain environments are open source by default, they can be a more transparent and modular environment for developers. This means they can also be more universal and accessible for developers to build upon, leading to an accelerated pace of discovery and growth.

Because the network for Web3 is decentralized, so too is its storage, usually. There are often distributed networks of nodes where people store assets throughout a network. Additionally, the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) serves as a standard file storage resource for blockchain users.

Sometimes, data needs to be stored somewhere other than on the chain. There are various decentralized and open-source platforms or databases where data can be registered to ensure agreement.

APIs are a big part of working on the blockchain. On blockchains, data is stored across many locations and isn’t in a format that can easily be consumed by other applications. That’s where APIs come in, allowing for queries and retrieval of the data via protocols like The Graph.

In Web3, identity authentication moves from being based around the user’s personal information to being based in wallets and public key cryptography. A user’s “wallet” is the place where their unique key codes are stored that let them buy, sell, and interact with blockchains.

The client is the end-user device that’s accessing the data or application. In a decentralized environment, the device needs to be able to handle a share of the operational workload, which is often handled through browser plug-ins or mobile applications.

and the

Web3

The Web3 stack

Types of NFTs

Many types of digital art, including original and custom works.

Even digital versions of real-world items like novels, screenplays, and classic paintings can be sold as NFTs, although this brings with it some confusion about how these digital representations merge with traditional copyright and intellectual property rights.

Avatars, like the bored ape or 8-bit icons represented here.

Things that need verifiable digital signatures, like membership passes for exclusive events or proof of attendance for concerts.

Many more are being invented every day!

Getting and using NFTs

When a new NFT is ready to be minted on a platform like Ethereum, there are limited resources and limited quantities available, and everybody wants first access before it goes on sale to the general public (very much like when tickets for a popular artist go on sale). Sometimes the distributions are randomized, too. So it can end up playing out like a lottery, with some lucky and some unlucky participants.

What is the metaverse?

In its most simplified representations, the metaverse is often depicted as a digital universe, visited by users through virtual and augmented reality.

"Coined in the 1992 science fiction novel "Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson, the "Metaverse" is a tech concept that describes a network of augmented and virtual reality hubs accessed on smartphones and with visors. Instead of loading an app or website, users strap on a visor to interact in virtual environments."

- CBS News

After renaming Facebook to Meta, Mark Zuckerberg described the metaverse as a place where avatars are as common as profile pictures; a digital place where people can interact in natural, meaningful ways.

Major brands like Miller Lite have already opened virtual watering holes in the metaverse. All told, digital real estate in the metaverse raked in $500M in 2021. It was purchased within contained video game worlds and across other environments curated by companies like Facebook. Those properties are often minted as NFTs and purchased with cryptocurrency. Speculators are hoping that their digital real estate will increase in value, since its status as an NFT makes it unique and proprietary. They may also place ads in their space and use it to host guests or games. And that's just the beginning.

The metaverse may ultimately mandate VR headsets and sensory equipment like haptic suits, as seen in movies like "Ready Player One." For now, it's simply a digital world accessed however people go online.

“Consumers are increasingly moving away from flat social/commerce environments and into fully immersive 3D spaces. And brands and investors are buying land in the metaverse to facilitate these experiences to meet customer demand. Location is going to be as key for real estate in the metaverse as it is in reality,” Larby says. “The purely digital nature of these spaces gives the potential for far superior customer service, from hyper-personalization to real-life representatives who speak the customer’s native language.”

- Matthew Larby, founder and CEO of Realm, a play-to-earn metaverse selling NFTs.

Web3 facilitates a lot of operations that could reconfigure the way advertising is bought, sold, and placed. It might enable brands and advertisers to:

metaverse

Specify contracts attached to an ad, including the environments in which it can, and cannot, appear.

Transfer funds automatically and in specified proportions immediately and without an intermediary.

Streamline programmatic operations through a variety of new options.

For example, users specify in a login key what advertising they’re open to and what data they'll share. They can then get deals, discounts, or compensation for receiving certain ads.

NFTs could be used to help support their products, services, marketing, or other initiatives, and even to derive monetary value from their creations.

Brands are already creating new ways to interact with customers in the metaverse, like Nikeland, Nike's 3D virtual space where visitors can buy digital products, play games that earn them rewards, and engage directly with the brand and other enthusiasts in a curated, responsive environment. Additionally, Web3 technologies enable companies to specify an ENS domain (similar to a URL), which lets users easily identify the company or brand with heightened trust.

Smart contractual agreements Vetting vendors and publishers Fast fraud detection Sharing funds with partners & creators Utilizing intellectual property

There are thousands of NFT communities popping up. These groups include crypto enthusiasts, investors speculating on value, artists, fans of the artists, and plenty of other interests, including many that extend beyond the worlds of crypto and blockchain.

With any collectible item, its rarity influences its value. Rarity sniping occurs when collectors scoop up ultra-rare NFTs at a discount because the owners aren't aware of how valuable they are.

There are many ways to earn digital rewards and income from NFTs. Creators can get royalties every time their NFT is sold. Owners can rent them out, which may happen, for example, with scarce, desirable gamepieces in online games. Owners can also "stake" their NFTs; agreeing to keep them stored on a certain platform to help reinforce its security and stability in exchange for fees or privileges.

NFT owners have plenty of ways to show off their collections. An array of online galleries display NFTs in dynamic and immersive ways, even in virtual spaces that mimick real-world museums. Creative showcases like these let owners flex their collections while also drumming up interest and potentially increasing the value of their investments.

Simply put, this is when an NFT owner or a lucky buyer manages to pick up a batch of NFTs in bulk, often at its "floor price," or the lowest value at which they can be sold.

A word of caution: NFTs, Web3, and the metaverse are nascent technologies. There are still important pieces of the story falling into place, including considerations of privacy, governance, fraud, identity, and security. With any new technology space, it can take time for laws and regulations to catch up or find precedence or enable enforcement. This is especially true in a decentralized landscape where the responsibilities of governance are more distributed and each individual holds greater control and power of their digital presence. Some experts believe that DAOs will provide some level of self-governance in these realms. These "decentralized autonomous organizations" essentially function as democratic systems where everyone who owns tokens within a certain community holds some voting power, which can be exercised to punish or ban bad actors. In addition, NFTs have experienced volatile boom-and-bust cycles already in their brief existence, and have been the subject of debate and criticism, even while getting bought up at a rapid pace by celebrities and investors. They have also been a platform for fraudulent activity. The same is true for cryptocurrency. When investing in emerging technologies, there is always risk and often ambiguity. Be sure to do your research and assess your risk tolerance before investing in any platform or vendor in this space.

"Used by enthusiasts to describe the next phase of the internet, Web3 is characterized by internet services and mobile apps rebuilt on decentralized blockchain technology. It often includes a broad spectrum of emerging technology like cryptocurrency, DAOs and digital assets like NFTs, or non-fungible tokens. Some enthusiasts also associate gaming, the metaverse and augmented and virtual reality with Web3 because some virtual worlds rely on blockchain-based digital assets."

- CBS News

What is an NFT?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/metaverse-facebook-virtual-augmented-reality-hubs/ https://www.socialmediatoday.com/spons/metaverse-whats-to-come-for-e-commerce/622134/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2022/04/10/metaverse-real-estate-another-crazy-crypto-market-whose-time-has-come/?sh=36ff71c87b67 https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/beer/2022/02/02/miller-lite-opening-metaverse-tavern-virtual-beer-bar-games/6637892001/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/04/22/nft-fraud-menace-of-the-metaverse/?sh=2a9966c92959 https://venturebeat.com/2022/01/26/how-the-metaverse-will-impact-governance-privacy-fraud-identity-and-more/ https://www.thedrum.com/news/2022/03/31/pepsi-marketing-boss-bullish-the-future-nfts https://digiday.com/media/wtf-is-web3/ https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6912745126326861824/ https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/blockchain.asp https://blog.alchemy.com/blog/web3-stack https://shermin.net/token-economy-book/ https://www.cryptohopper.com/blog/5098-nft-staking-earning-passive-income-through-nfts https://decentralizedcreator.com/best-nft-visualizer/ https://blockster.com/what-is-sweeping-the-floor-in-nfts/ https://azbigmedia.com/business/how-nft-minting-works-an-initial-guide-to-nfts/ https://www.coindesk.com/learn/buying-nfts-during-presales-and-public-mints-things-you-should-know/ https://www.analyticsinsight.net/top-10-metaverse-platforms-that-enthusiasts-have-to-try-out-in-2022/ https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/cryptocurrency/best-nft-marketplaces/ https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/cryptocurrency/nft-marketplaces/ https://www.techradar.com/news/the-best-vr-headset

Sources and additional information

Create new environments and platforms for commerce. Consider the quick rise of social commerce, which is expected to reach $1.2T in revenue by 2025, encouraging many brands to make their products available for purchase directly within social platforms. In a similar but potentially even more expansive way, the metaverse may enable a whole new channel of interactive, immersive, and transactional opportunities. This may also lead to new advertising formats and strategies that blend natively into metaverse locations.

Caveat emptor

Consider the quick rise of social commerce, which is expected to reach $1.2T in revenue by 2025, encouraging many brands to make their products available for purchase directly within social platforms. In a similar but potentially even more expansive way, the metaverse may enable a whole new channel of interactive, immersive, and transactional opportunities. This may also lead to new advertising formats and strategies that blend natively into metaverse locations.

Web 3 is...

Decentralized

Token-based

User-based

Future-friendly

Web3 is...

decentralized

token-based

user-based

future-friendly

Rarity sniping

Minting lotteries

Digital art is currently the most common type of NFT, but NFTs can represent a whole range of collectible things, from text documents to web domains to 3D models to metaverse locations and beyond.

Community building

Floor sweeping

Collection showcasing

Earning rewards

Minting lotteries

Community building

Rarity sniping

Floor sweeping

Collection showcasing

Earning rewards

Skip ahead:

Click these areas for more information!

Users can read data

Users can read and write data

Users can read, write, and own data

Major developments: Cloud computing, mobile devices, APIs, platforms

Major developments: Internet, web browsers, HTML

Major developments: Digital wallets, blockchain

Create new environments and platforms for commerce.

Enhance user experiences.

Pursue new forms of ad targeting.

Create digital assets that generate value.

Execute ad campaigns more accurately and efficiently.

Ready to get started?

Here's your personal metaverse to-do list.

Open a digital wallet

Popular platforms include MetaMask, Coinbase, Trust Wallet, Rainbow, and others.

Here's a primer with more information about digital wallets from Alchemy.com

Buy an NFT

Popular platforms include Binance, Crypto.com, Rarible, and OpenSea, which bills itself as the oldest and largest NFT marketplace.

Here's an overview of the most popular NFT platforms compiled by Forbes.com.

Popular platforms include Roblox, Decentraland, HyperVerse, and many more.

Here's an overview of the most popular metaverse worlds compiled by Geekflare.com.

Explore metaverse worlds

Popular VR headsets include the Oculus (runs off your phone); the HTC Vive (runs off your PC); and the Playstation VR (runs off the console).

Here's a guide to currently available VR headsets compiled by TechRadar.

Experience virtual reality

Marketers

What it means for

Connected, persistent, limitless, user-defined virtual worlds

The full convergence of our physical and digital selves

A dematerialized digital layer on top of every day life; a digital twin of the physical world

An inflection point where the value of our digital lives outpaces the value of our physical lives

A next evolution in digital connectivity; a successor state to today's mobile internet

The metaverse is many things all at once:

Digital art is currently the most common type of NFT, but NFTs can represent a whole range of collectible things, from text documents to web domains to 3D models to metaverse locations and beyond.

A word of caution: NFTs, Web3, and the metaverse are nascent technologies. There are still important pieces of the story falling into place, including considerations of privacy, governance, fraud, identity, and security. With any new technology space, it can take time for laws and regulations to catch up or find precedence or enable enforcement. This is especially true in a decentralized landscape where the responsibilities of governance are more distributed and each individual holds greater control and power of their digital presence. Some experts believe that DAOs will provide some level of self-governance in these realms. These "Decentralized Autonomous Organizations" essentially function as democratic systems where everyone who owns tokens within a certain community holds some voting power, which can be exercised to punish or ban bad actors. In addition, NFTs have experienced rapid boom-and-bust cycles already in their brief existence, and have been the subject of debate and criticism, even while getting bought up at a rapid pace by celebrities and investors. They have also been a platform for fraudulent activity. The same is true for cryptocurrency. When investing in emerging technologies, there is always risk and often ambiguity. Be sure to do your research and assess your risk tolerance before investing in any platform or vendor in this space.

With the latest version of the Internet, people can share directly with each other at massive scale without having to go through any centralized platform. A shared object or an asset can come with a unique identifier, or token, that remains attached to it when anyone accesses, shares, or sells it. Because that identifier is attached, someone can create something and have their ownership travel with it. Web3, as it’s known, is the ultimate peer-to-peer network. “Tokens are for the Web3 what websites were for the WWW in the 1990s,” says Shermin Voshmgir, author of Token Economy. Voshmigr says that tokens – AKA cryptocurrencies – can represent any real or virtual asset or access right, including gold, diamonds, or a fraction of a piece of art, and blockchain technologies are the backbone of Web3 - the next substantial evolution of our relationship to the Internet.

Blockchains & sidechains

Identities and transactions

Sometimes, data needs to be stored somewhere other than on the chain. There are various decentralized and open-source platforms or databases where these can be registered to ensure agreement.

Off-chain data protocols

Indexing & querying

Client

Development environment

File storage

Buy an NFT

Popular VR headsets include the Oculus (uses your phone); the HTC Vive (uses your PC); and the Playstation VR (uses the console).

Here's a summary of what's available for VR headsets, with an overview of each one.

Explore metaverse worlds

Start a conversation

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