Leading Trends in the Metaverse: What's Next for the Digital World?

Eric Pulier, the CEO of Vatom, is the creator of the first smart NFT and the founder of over 15 companies. Pulier has raised over $1 billion for companies he has founded or co-founded. He has achieved various liquidity events, including acquisitions, IPOs, ICOs, and mergers. His current venture is ERC741 on Ethereum: the first non-fungible fungible token.

He reckons people will become increasingly annoyed by airdrops just as they are with SPAM in their email boxes today. The difference with airdrops is that they could be actual value, but that rare case is not enough to overcome the issue of being perceived as a nuisance.

“Also, bad actors can drop inappropriate content and other unwanted materials into someone's wallet without their consent. Rather than airdrops, a better concept is to make it known that gifts are available to those who choose to pick them up, and to use emerging formats like the NFFT (non-fungible fungible token) that attach novel content to tokens only for those who choose to proactively review their bounty. In this way, value can be provided in a welcomed manner,” says Pulier.

Matt Webb, co founder of wevr.ai, a blockchain analytics company, expressed similar concerns despite the new found popularity for airdrops.

“Airdrops are controversial. For one receiving "free money is great" however the use of airdrops needs to be more focused on rewarding individuals who actually contribute to the growth of the project. Currently over the past years there have been many airdrops which have been abused via sybil-attacks allowing individuals to create many accounts and be disproportionately rewarded by the token having an airdrop.

“I think airdrops will continue to happen however there needs to be a balance about rewarding actual users whom will continue to assist the token/ network in the future rather than rewarding people whom will just get the airdrop and sell it causing sell pressure and further dissuading new investors from buying the token,” says Webb.

Professor Tonya M. Evans, full professor at Law in Penn State Dickinson Law, is more positive about the engagement value of airdrops:

“The rise of airdrops plays a key role in fostering user engagement and building digital communities. Airdrops—where tokens are distributed for free or as a reward—create an immediate sense of value and ownership. They serve as a powerful tool for platforms to incentivize participation, reward loyalty, and invite users into the ecosystem, giving them a stake in the platform’s growth. This practice not only helps build trust and engagement but also spreads wealth-building opportunities more broadly, a mission closely aligned with my work in digital financial literacy and empowerment,” she says.

Access to the digital world

Meta is reportedly working on introducing new tech, the mixed-reality glasses. Set to launch in 2027, these glasses feature pancake lenses that will also support video passthrough. This means users can access hand and eye controls as well see their surroundings beyond the glasses. It's currently reported that Meta is focused on trying to make the device have a slimmer profile and be more appealing to its users.

In 2024, The Sandbox recorded 5.8 million users with over 1,000 unique experiences. This was recorded from NFT collections offered and the brand activations that had over 330,000 active creators.

Community building is among the major features explored in the metaverse, and taking the lead are platforms like Metropolis. The platform has expanded its trend based on the advancements in tech that propel its stance as a Web3 metaverse.

Virtual events

DisneyLand has rolled out a new feature that allows users to watch movies in a snowy Iceland corridor using its new visionOS app. This virtual environment offers the new upgrades with the National Geographic edition. The environment employs 3D models that show the Northern lights when watching.

The Sandbox and Decentraland had topped the real estate purchases earlier but with time, virtual events have been more popular. The new innovations around virtual events have introduced a stronger connection between digital communities allowing for self-sustainability, the major goal of the metaverse. However, these platforms are currently exploring new innovations that allow event monetization that would also give rewards to users present.

UGC is top of the pops when it comes to generating interest and interaction with users

User Generated Content (UGC) is really one of the hottest trends observed in the metaverse. It makes sense for a rake of reasons in that it provides new content and keeps users engaged.

UGC is a foundation of The Sandbox’s philosophy. Co founder and COO Sebastien Borget explains that UGC transforms games into dynamic platforms, fostering continuous engagement and evolution. This approach democratizes content creation, allowing users to monetize their creativity and build sustainable careers within the metaverse.

“We also host a wide array of user-generated projects that reflect the diversity and richness of our community. From the Pickaxe Master game to cultural hubs like the Irish Pub, users are creating content that spans gaming, art, fashion, sports and entertainment. These projects often blend virtual and physical elements, opening new avenues for monetization and transmedia storytelling,” he says.

Yemel Jardi, Executive Director at Decentraland Foundation also sees UGC as shaping the future of entertainment, offering limitless opportunities for creators to build immersive social worlds.

"The decision to call Decentraland a “virtual social world” rather than a metaverse is deeply embedded with our focus on UGC and how virtual worlds are the future of social networking and they are a part of the metaverse at large,” Jardi says.

"With a strong foundation of open-source infrastructure and a thriving, talented community, Decentraland empowers builders to create dynamic experiences that co-exist side-by-side. The new Decentraland desktop client we are releasing in a few weeks amplifies this original intention for users to look out, see, and explore the world and all of its dynamic and vibrant spaces that the community built together.

"It’s an exciting moment as we pave the way for a more interactive and democratized digital landscape.”

Metropolis World is also following the trend with every corner of its metaverse platform teeming with uniquely-designed properties that each contain rich lore, stories and characters.

Rania Ajami, Co founder of Metropolis says that users can build brands, establish businesses, create meaningful connections and collaborate with others.

“Users can live out entire virtual lives influenced by their property’s history and its proximity to notable ‘Founding Citizens’,” says Ajami.

Upland is another example of a metaverse offering lots of UGC. It has allowed later entrants to still buy properties at a cheaper price, and utilize their virtual land as shops for their creations, with advanced no-code minting.

Last month saw the introduction of UGC royalties going live, allowing its UGC community to earn on primary and secondary sales as well, for their creations.

Danny Wolf Brown, chief of staff at Upland explains: “Players have just received their first royalties, retroactively applied to all secondary sales. Each UGC item can be utilised by third-party developers through our community dev tools, helping both creators and the broader community.” The royalties program includes UGC structure ornaments, outdoor décor, and racing Karts sold on the secondary market.