The popularity of the metaverse, a virtual world that allows real-time interaction between people and digital objects, is increasing as technology advances. With the rise of the metaverse comes a need for secure and decentralized digital infrastructure, and blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies are emerging as critical components of the metaverse’s development.
In the past few years, there has been a rise in cryptocurrencies and blockchain projects creating technology and infrastructure to aid the advancement of the metaverse. Their popularity continues to grow as more and more metaverse projects gain traction.
In this article, we will take a look at our list of the top metaverse coins and tokens and examine their potential.
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What Are Metaverse Cryptocurrencies?
True to their name, metaverse cryptocurrencies are digital assets that are specifically designed for usage within virtual worlds or metaverse environments. Cryptocurrencies are commonly utilized as a method of transaction in digital spaces, enabling individuals to purchase, sell, and exchange virtual products and services.
Just like regular cryptocurrencies, metaverse cryptos are typically built using blockchain technology, which provides a secure and decentralized ledger for tracking transactions and ensuring the integrity of the virtual economy. Being based on decentralized networks allows those metaverse crypto platforms to provide their users with greater autonomy and control over their virtual assets and transactions.
What Is Metaverse?
The metaverse is a virtual space where multiple users can interact with each other and digital objects in real time. Having gained traction in popular culture and science fiction, this concept has come to life through technological advancements like virtual reality, augmented reality, and blockchain.
A metaverse allows users to create digital avatars for interactions with other users and digital objects. It has various applications, such as gaming, socializing, shopping, and education.
The metaverse operates as an open, decentralized ecosystem without a single governing authority. A network of users and developers collaborates to construct and upkeep the virtual space. This decentralized structure promotes security, transparency, and censorship resistance within the metaverse.
As technology progresses, the metaverse is expected to play a larger role in our lives, offering fresh possibilities for communication, entertainment, and commerce.
What Makes a Metaverse Crypto Project Good?
Various factors contribute to the success of the metaverse crypto project. Here are some of them.
- Scalability. A good metaverse crypto project must be capable of managing a high volume of users and transactions while maintaining optimal performance and security.
- Interoperability. The metaverse is made up of a wide variety of virtual worlds, each with its own unique features and assets. In order to be future-proof, a metaverse crypto project should be interoperable with other virtual worlds and enable seamless transfers of assets and currencies between them.
- User experience. The metaverse intends to create an immersive and captivating atmosphere, and a successful metaverse crypto project should provide a user-friendly interface and intuitive controls that improve user engagement.
- Community support. A good metaverse crypto project should have a strong and active community of users and developers committed to the project’s success and working collaboratively to improve the ecosystem. Or, at least, a dedicated and active marketing team that is good at promoting that metaverse project.
- Governance. The governance system of the metaverse crypto project should be transparent and fair, allowing users to participate in decision-making and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the ecosystem.
5 Best Metaverse Crypto Projects
There are many innovative metaverse crypto projects out there. Despite the technology being relatively young, the industry has already developed in leaps and bounds. Here are some of the projects we’ve been keeping our eye on — if you know any other interesting metaverse projects, please tell us about them via Twitter!
Decentraland (MANA)
Decentraland is a blockchain-based virtual world that operates on the Ethereum blockchain. It is a decentralized platform where users can create, experience, and monetize content and applications in a virtual world. Decentraland’s metaverse consists of a series of interconnected virtual lands, or parcels. Owned by users, they can find their application in building and showcasing virtual experiences and assets.
Decentraland stands out by prioritizing user ownership and control. Unlike traditional video games, Decentraland’s environment is controlled by its users rather than developers. Each piece of virtual land is owned by the user and can be customized and developed as they see fit.
Decentraland’s unique governance approach sets it apart from other virtual platforms: development decisions are made by a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) controlled by the community. Needless to say, the DAO runs on the blockchain.
Users can create and share their own content, such as games, art, and virtual experiences, and monetize them using Decentraland’s native cryptocurrency, MANA. It is an Ethereum-based ERC-20 metaverse token, which means it is compatible with a wide range of wallets and exchanges supporting the Ethereum ecosystem. At the time of writing, MANA was within the top 50 cryptocurrencies by market cap, with a total value of over 1 billion USD.
In addition to being used for transactions within the Decentraland ecosystem, MANA is also featured in votes on proposals related to the platform’s development and governance. That’s why MANA holders have a direct say in where the platform is going, which helps ensure that it remains responsive to the needs and desires of its user base.
The Sandbox (SAND)
The Sandbox is a metaverse platform that operates on blockchain technology. It allows users to create, share, and monetize their games and experiences in a decentralized virtual world. The metaverse comprises “voxels,” which are virtual lands that users can own, develop, and monetize using the platform’s native cryptocurrency, SAND.
The Sandbox distinguishes itself from other metaverse projects by prioritizing user-generated content. It operates as a community-driven ecosystem, enabling users to create and share games, experiences, and virtual assets. This approach facilitates constant growth and offers users a diverse range of content to engage with.
The SAND metaverse coin is integral to the Sandbox’s economy. It serves as a means of exchange for virtual assets such as lands, items, and experiences. Additionally, SAND can be staked for rewards and used for participation in governance processes.
The Sandbox platform has a unique partnership strategy. It collaborates with various companies, brands, and content creators to conceive and showcase their virtual experiences and assets within the metaverse. This strategy helps increase user engagement and adoption and provides new content and experience discovery.
Axie Infinity (AXS)
Axie Infinity is a gaming platform and metaverse that operates on the Ethereum blockchain. This play-to-earn game enables users to earn cryptocurrency through digital creatures known as “Axies.” The platform’s metaverse includes a collection of digital lands — so-called “Terrariums” — that users can own and enhance.
Axie Infinity distinguishes itself from other metaverse projects by focusing on play-to-earn mechanics. The platform’s native cryptocurrency, AXS, can be earned by engaging in various activities such as playing the game, breeding and trading Axies, and participating in governance and decision-making processes. This incentivizes player engagement and promotes platform adoption.
AXS serves a significant function in the Axie Infinity metaverse as the platform’s native governance token. It enables voting on proposals related to the platform’s development, granting AXS holders direct influence over the platform’s course. Moreover, AXS provides access to premium on-platform features, including exclusive events and tournaments. Last but not least, the AXS token is ranked high on CoinMarketCap.
One of the unique features of Axie Infinity is its focus on NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and digital ownership. Being a unique NFT owned by the user, each Axie can be traded or sold on the NFT marketplace. This creates a secondary market for Axies, where users can buy, sell, and trade them for profit.
Axie Infinity is a metaverse crypto project that integrates gaming, play-to-earn mechanics, and NFTs in an innovative way. Its emphasis on digital ownership, player incentives, and governance through AXS establishes it as a platform to keep an eye on.
Gala Games (GALA)
While other best metaverse crypto projects like Decentraland offer a virtual world that can be used for a wide range of activities, Gala Games concentrates primarily on gaming. The platform offers several games and experiences, each with its own unique gameplay and narrative.
Gala Games has created an infrastructure known as Gala Nodes, which enables users to host gaming servers and receive incentives for their efforts. This decentralized network enhances gaming efficiency and minimizes latency while introducing users to a fresh approach to earning rewards.
Gala Games also operates an NFT marketplace that facilitates purchases and sales in-game assets, including characters, items, and lands. The marketplace leverages the Gala Network blockchain to ensure transparent and verifiable ownership.
Gala Games offers various popular games, such as Town Star, a farming simulator where players can cultivate crops and trade with others, as well as Mirandus, an upcoming MMORPG that aims to be one of the most ambitious blockchain games.
The Gold Membership program offered by Gala Games lets users benefit from exclusive features and benefits, such as discounts on in-game purchases, early access to new games and experiences, and special events and giveaways.
Overall, Gala Games stand apart from other projects, all thanks to a multitude of factors, including their Gala Nodes, NFT marketplace, and Gold Membership program. Their focus on gaming and creating actually entertaining games definitely deserves a shoutout too. The platform, designed to give users control over their in-game assets and create enjoyable, engaging, and rewarding experiences, is considered highly promising in the current market.
Enjin (ENJ)
Enjin is a blockchain-based platform that, above all, intends to create an entire ecosystem for gaming and virtual worlds rather than just a single platform. It offers a suite of tools and services, including an SDK (software development kit) that allows developers to integrate blockchain and NFTs into their games, a wallet that supports various cryptocurrencies and NFTs, and an NFT marketplace where users can buy and sell assets. Their metaverse solution is called MetaverseMe.
Enjin has its own mobile wallet fit for storing and managing various cryptocurrencies and NFTs. The wallet also has a built-in marketplace where users can browse and purchase NFTs from various creators and platforms.
The project’s NFT marketplace is designed to be user-friendly and accessible. It enables creators to easily mint and sell their own NFTs while also offering a wide selection of NFTs from various creators and platforms. Besides, Enjin uses a unique token called “Melting ENJ,” which allows users to melt down their unwanted NFTs into ENJ tokens.
ENJ, Enjin’s native token, follows the ERC-20 standard and powers various aspects of the platform. For example, developers can use ENJ to mint and distribute their custom tokens, while users can purchase in-game items and access premium features thanks to ENJ.
Enjin also provides metaverse solutions to businesses that simplify the integration of blockchain and NFTs into their current games and applications while simultaneously creating new engagement and monetization possibilities.
The platform’s SDK facilitates the seamless integration of blockchain technology and non-fungible tokens into existing games and applications for businesses. The implementation of this technology can result in multiple advantages, including enhanced security, improved tracking of ownership and provenance, and new monetization opportunities.
Enjin also enables businesses to generate personalized tokens for their games and applications. These tokens have multiple functions, including incentivizing users to complete specific actions, granting access to premium features, or serving as in-game currencies.
Why Invest in Metaverse Crypto Projects?
Investing in metaverse crypto projects offers unique advantages and opportunities that differ from traditional investments in cryptocurrencies or conventional assets. Here are some reasons why investors may want to explore them:
- Growth Potential. The metaverse industry is still in its developing phase, with the potential for significant growth in the future. Early investments in metaverse crypto projects could offer an opportunity to benefit from this potential growth.
- Unique Use Cases. Metaverse crypto projects offer distinct benefits that cannot be found in traditional cryptocurrencies or assets. One such benefit is the ability to claim ownership of virtual assets or land through owning an NFT in a metaverse.
- Decentralization. Many metaverse crypto projects are built on blockchain technology, which offers a decentralized and transparent way of managing transactions and ownership. This can provide investors with improved security and ownership rights.
- Diversification. Investing in metaverse crypto projects can bring investors interesting portfolio diversification opportunities.
However, investing in metaverse crypto projects is also inherently risky. After all, their development is still in the very early stages, and the market for such projects is relatively small and volatile. Not to mention, as these platforms are so closely connected to the crypto world, there’s always the “bubble” and regulatory risks.
Investing in metaverse crypto projects presents potential for growth and unique use cases. As gaming and entertainment industries evolve with blockchain technology, the metaverse may become mainstream in the future.
FAQ
Where can you buy metaverse crypto coins and tokens?
You can buy metaverse coins on most major platforms like Binance or Huobi. Additionally, if you want to get some metaverse tokens, you can set your sights on a decentralized exchange like Uniswap or our own DeFi Swap.
What are the top metaverse coins by market cap?
At the time of writing, the top metaverse platforms by market capitalization were ApeCoin, Decentraland, Theta Network, Axie Infinity, Sandbox, and Enjin Coin.
Please note that market capitalization can fluctuate rapidly, and the ranking may change at any given time. Additionally, many platforms may not have as high of a market cap but could still offer value to investors. As always, it’s important to do your own research and make informed decisions when investing in cryptocurrency.
How do I find a new metaverse cryptocurrency?
Just like when looking for new crypto projects, you can find upcoming metaverse crypto coins and tokens by looking up meta token presales and listings and keeping an eye on specialized communities and news platforms.
Disclaimer: Please note that the contents of this article are not financial or investing advice. The information provided in this article is the author’s opinion only and should not be considered as offering trading or investing recommendations. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability and accuracy of this information. The cryptocurrency market suffers from high volatility and occasional arbitrary movements. Any investor, trader, or regular crypto users should research multiple viewpoints and be familiar with all local regulations before committing to an investment.
