10 Metaverse Projects I'll Be Watching In 2022

Metaverse is currently the superstar in the stage of technology and crypto. 

The biggest social media platform that is the first love for many of us, Facebook, just recently changed its name to Meta, the prefix of the term “metaverse.” If a brand like Facebook starts talking about Metaverse, it’s probably time to pay attention to virtual reality. For crypto investors, metaverse projects are a promising opportunity.

The term “Metaverse” is a combination of two prefixes: “meta,” which stands for “behind, beyond, or more comprehensive,” and “verse,” which derives from the word “universe,” which stands for “area, or sphere.” In other words, a metaverse builds a bridge between the virtual and the real world by leveraging the power of decentralized finance (DeFi) and NFTs, allowing them to engage closely. 

Many big brands have already started embracing the new reality, and others have noticed, not wanting to be left behind. As the metaverse market keeps growing, we will see more great projects incubate in the digital space. Below is a look at my ten most promising metaverse projects to watch for in 2022.

1. Bloktopia

The first place, unsurprisingly to many, goes to one of the best-performing IDOs of all time. Bloktopia is an immense, all-around metaverse project with a virtual 21-Floor tall skyscraper. The first floor of the skyscraper is already filled with multiple high-end names in the crypto world, including KuCoin, BinanceNFTs, BitBoy, and many more.

The exact number of floors in the skyscraper is a homage to 21 million coins of the world’s first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin. In Bloktopia, users can create their avatars, socialize with others, buy virtual land and monetize it through massive ads and retail opportunities, and much more– in other words, they can “learn, earn, play, create.”

Transactions within the platform are done through its native token, $BLOK, which is backed by Polygon. After a successful fundraising campaign, $BLOK’s price has skyrocketed by more than 750X since its initial VC deal price on the BullStarter launchpad. Some of the top features of Bloktopia include a native multi-chain wallet, REBLOK (real estate), ADBLOK (that offers passive income through ads), as well as Floor 21’s gaming and penthouse area.

Main features:

• Various earning opportunities
• Highly effective marketing strategy
• Native marketplace to buy and sell NFTs
• Ability to learn through well-known crypto KOLs inside the metaverse
• Native multi-chain wallet

2. Star Atlas

Star Atlas, the next-level NFT-based metaverse powered by the Solana Network, is the 2nd on our list-- for a strong reason. The gameplay represents events in the year 2620, where citizens of Star Atlas set to compete to buy, or conquer the land, dominate politically, or collect resources and grow. As users play the game, they will earn rewards through tokens. 

$ATLAS is the official token Star Atlas operates with, including purchasing digital assets, crew members, land, and equipment. Additionally, Star Atlas uses $POLIS, another currency that offers in-game governing rights.

Main features:

• Low-cost in-game transactions 
• Governing rights for token holders
• An immersive virtual economy and community
• Earning opportunities through conquering territories and exploration

3. Sandbox

Sandbox has already conquered the hearts of numerous players with limited Ether knowledge or skills on using the newest technology– and so has done to our #3 spot in the list. 

Sandbox is a blockchain-based gaming metaverse project where players can buy, sell, earn, and build in-game land plots, which come as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The conjoined forces of DAO and NFT models make Sandbox a genuine decentralized platform for a flourishing gaming community.

The platform is determined to offer a generous play-to-earn (P2E) model that allows users to create, play, and earn simultaneously. Sandbox’es native token is known as $SAND and is the foundation of transactions within the platform.

$SAND has already been listed by top coin exchanges, including Binance, Kucoin, and Huobi, providing easy access for potential investors.

Main features:

• Minimized blockchain interactions and transactions cost through EIP-712 standard
• Native meta transactions
• Generous play to earn (P2E) economy

4. MetaCity  

MetaCity by Engine is the world’s first free-to-earn (F2E) NFT-based gaming model– just one of the many reasons to give it a spot on this list. 

While it shares the same name with Windows’ manager open-source software, MetaCity virtual reality is an NFT-based multi-gaming platform rooted in the blockchain. Having conjoined arms with Enjin, a firm that offers NFT mining solutions, MetaCity offers an attractive play-to-earn (P2E) model.

What’s special about this metaverse is its unique twists on well-known games like Minecraft and Grand Theft Auto (GTA). In MetaCity, players can play their favorite games and do their favorite activities while earning in-game rewards.

Main features:

• The world’s first free-to-earn NFT real estate
• Cross-game play to exchange items
• A metaverse-based version of Minecraft

5. Decentraland

Decentraland is the first virtual world that comes to mind when it comes to providing users with total ownership of their virtual assets. Decentraland is a digital environment based on the blockchain, with plenty of similarities to the real world.

In Decentraland, users can socialize with other players, play online games, trade digital creations in marketplaces, attend online events, and much more.

The official token of the platform, $MANA, is supported by the Ethereum and DAI Networks and is available for trade on the biggest DEX and CEX exchanges, including Binance, KuCoin, and Coinbase, among others.

Main features:

• Complete ownership of digital assets
• Trade digital assets in the native marketplace 
• Socialize with other players

6. Alien Worlds

According to DappRadar, Alien Worlds is one of the fastest-growing crypto games and one of the largest dapps overall.  Alien Worlds is a decentralized metaverse with an incorporated NFT model and is the first to reach 100K users, 1 million, and then 2 million users on the platform. In Alien Worlds, players compete for scarce resources in a virtual economy focused on planetary conflicts. 

Trillium (TLM) is the native token of the platform and is supported by both Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain (BSC) networks. Alien Worlds’s decentralized nature provides $TLM holders with rewards from staking and access to DAO governance decisions. 

Main features:

• A core of six competing planets or DAOs
• Earn tokens through mining, battling, and special quests
• More than 2.5 million users worldwide

7. Radio Raca

The developers of Tencent and Roblox are ready to hit the market again through a USM metaverse. Radio Caca is a 3D virtual world where users can purchase and own lands, build stores and digital art galleries, as well as create and play games. Radio Raca operates under a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) model and, as such, is governed by like-minded individuals all over the world. 

Radio Caca’s native token is known as $RACA. The team is also the exclusive manager of the “Maye Musk Mystery Box”  NFT.

Main features:

• A USM metaverse
• An exclusive manager of the Maye Musk Mystery Box (MPB) NFT.
• Confirmed partnerships with Google AI, Microsoft, and Space X for an advanced metaverse.
• Great rewards from the mini-games

8. Nakaverse

The list of top metaverse projects for 2022 includes another veteran in the industry. Nakamoto Game, already known for its attractive game launches, has recently announced its first project into the virtual world as Nakamoto Gaming Metverse, known as Nakaverse. 

Nakaverse’s decentralized in-game economy allows players to buy and hold virtual lands, construct buildings, upgrade, and more. The native token of the platform is known as $NAKA, and it will be the main currency for transactions within the platform. 

Main features:

• Another dimension of engagement for gamers
• Native marketplace for NFTs
• User-friendly platform

9. Starlink

Starlink is the first decentralized virtual world 100% community-owned and governed through a DAO. Starlink is a gamified 3D metaverse platform that aims to bridge the crypto world and the professional gaming industry. The platform allows gamers to buy, sell, and trade virtual satellites, spacecraft, and land while exploring the solar system.

Starlink is set to be the first crypto project to onboard a Tier 1+ gaming design and development team with over 20 years of experience. The Starlink team members have previously worked for major brands such as Disney, Lionsgate Entertainment, Pixar, LEGO, and PlayStation.

The $STARL metaverse also aims to provide a crypto launchpad, with the first game on the line being War Nexus of Wyrmbite Studios. 

Main features:

• Totally community-owned
• Attractive blockchain-based economy
• Tier 1+ gaming design and development team

10. MetaHero

Last but not least: Metahero is a decentralized metaverse with a unique 3D scanning technology that reshapes actual objects (including humans) into Ultra HD avatars. In other words, Metahero aims to shift physical objects into virtual reality. These objects will be introduced as non-fungible tokens or NFTs.

Even though the project is relatively young, it has already managed to gather more than 95K members in its Telegram community alone, making its native token, $HERO, gain massive attention worldwide. MetaHero’s $HERO can be traded on major crypto exchanges like KuCoin, PancakeSwap, and Gate.io.

Main features:

• Next-gen 3D scanning technology
• Various ways to generate revenue
• Create, buy, and sell NFTs
• Create your own 3D avatar