Despite turbulent market conditions over the last year, the metaverse and its potential utility remain steady in the minds of consumers. According to data from a new survey by Capgemini, a business and technology strategy advisor, over three-quarters of consumers expect their interactions with brands and individuals to be impacted by the metaverse. This also goes for organizations, as 7 out of 10 believe that the metaverse and immersive experiences will be a market differentiator in terms of customer experience. The report surveyed 8,000 consumers, along with 1,000 organizations in 12 countries across different sectors to understand metaverse competency, interest …

Porsche to launch 7,500 NFTs for use in a ‘virtual world’ German luxury car manufacturer Porsche has suggested it will be significantly ramping up its Web3 efforts after unveiling an upcoming NFT project consisting of 7,500 customizable tokenized vehicles. In a Nov. 29 announcement, Porsche stated that the NFTs will be launched in January, and users will be able to customize various aspects of the cars in relation to performance and appearance. The NFT art itself is being designed by designer and 3D artist Patrick Vogel, with all pieces revolving around the famous Porsche 911 model. Notably these virtual assets …

The Australian arm of Big Four accounting firm KPMG could soon be holding executive meetings and closing multi-million dollar deals with clients in the Metaverse, with the firm now exploring how the revolutionary technology can transform its business model. In a recent interview, KPMG’s James Mabbott, Partner in Charge at KPMG Futures said the firm sees real potential in the technology creating new and more efficient ways for businesses and consumers to interact with each other: “I think the really interesting applications are going to be in the business to business context [...] And I think that I actually think …

Technology giant Apple appears to be working towards the development of a metaverse-sounding “3D mixed-reality world,” according to related patent filings and recent job postings. Since Nov. 1, over 30 jobs have been listed on Apple’s careers page related to augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) with the Big Tech player seeking a mix of software and hardware engineers to be mostly based in its Technology Development Group (TDG). TDG is a secretive team within Apple that may reportedly stem as far back as 2017, which is understood to be working on developing AR and VR technology. Apple has never officially …

A blockchain project that's building an ecosystem for the future of NFTs, gaming and the Metaverse has unveiled an exciting new partnership. Funganomics has signed a marketing partnership agreement with Polygon Studios — and plan to work together closely in the coming years. It's being described as a perfect fit. While Polygon has over 39,000 projects in its ecosystem, Funganomics boasts a wide array of exciting technologies. Work is currently taking place on a new Layer 2 solution for Funganomics that's set to deliver scalability, sustainability and reduced infrastructure costs. At the beating heart of this crypto project is Fungatopia, …

A multi-chain marketplace that's fully focused on music-related nonfungible tokens is gearing up for launch within weeks. Centaurify says it's determined to empower musicians with an opportunity to make the most out of Web3 — all while bringing them closer to fans. Ethereum and Solana are going to be supported initially, with more networks set to be included in subsequent releases. Another crucial Centaurify product will center on issuing tickets for live music events as NFTs. Executives firmly believe this has the potential to eliminate counterfeits, prevent "scalping" practices that raise prices for everyone, and ensure artists and organizers receive …

Luxury brand Hermès is laying the groundwork for its entrance to Web3 after filing a trademark application covering NFTs, cryptocurrencies, and the Metaverse. According to an Aug. 26 filing to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the trademark covers downloadable software to view, store and manage virtual goods, digital collectibles, cryptocurrencies, and NFTs “for use in online worlds.” It also filed trademarks for “retail store services featuring virtual goods” as well as fashion and trade shows in “online virtual, augmented or mixed reality environments” and for “providing an online marketplace for buyers and sellers of virtual goods.” Luxury …

Innovation is endless in the crypto space. We've seen how play-to-earn has transformed the world of gaming, while move-to-earn rewards enthusiasts for staying active. And now, an exchange is exploring a whole new category: wear-to-earn. Tidex's new collection consists of 10,000 NFT T-shirts — each with unique features. While these garments are primarily virtual, lucky owners can also order a T-shirt that can be worn in the real world. Not only are they made of the highest quality, but 10 "super cool prints" are available — with deliveries available across the globe. As you can see, Tidex is capitalizing on …

Polygon (MATIC) reached lofty price levels this July 14, a day after getting selected for the Walt Disney Company's benchmark business development program. MATIC's price surged 22.5% to $0.657 a token, its highest level in a month. In doing so, the token also climbed above its 50-day exponential moving average (50-day EMA; the red wave), a curvy resistance level that had been capping MATIC's upside attempts since January 2022. Polygon enters the Disney World MATIC's move upside appeared synchronous with similar intraday recovery actions witnessed elsewhere in the crypto market. Nonetheless, Polygon fared better than most of its top-ranking rivals, …

Thailand-based metaverse startup Translucia Global Innovation has partnered with the Australian software development firm Two Bulls and set aside an initial budget of $100 million to build a Metaverse Research and Development Center (MRDC) in Melbourne. Translucia is a subsidiary of art and entertainment company T&B Media Global, which in October 2021, launched its Translucia Metaverse project, with a first-stage investment of $283 million for the virtual world. Now, T&B are partnering with Two Bulls to build the MRDC to bring the project to life with a slated soft launch for November this year. Two Bulls Founder and CEO James …

Neal Stephenson, the author who coined the term “Metaverse” 30 years ago, is launching a metaverse-focused blockchain project called LAMINA1. He has also revised his vision for the Metaverse, stating that the experience is likely to be geared more toward flat 2D screens rather than virtual reality or augmented reality tech such as headsets and lenses, as in the model proposed by Meta and Microsoft. Stephenson is a popular speculative fiction author who explored the concept of a virtual reality world called the Metaverse in his sci-fi novel Snow Crash in 1992. Outside of writing, the 62-year-old also served as …

Excitement for the Metaverse and virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR) is much greater in developing countries than in high-income countries, according to a survey conducted for the World Economic Forum (WEF). Market research firm Ipsos released the results of the survey on Wednesday, showing the concept is now widely recognized: 52% of more than 21,000 adults surveyed across 29 countries are familiar with the Metaverse and 50% have positive feelings about engaging with it in daily life. China, India, Peru, Saudi Arabia and Colombia were the top five countries where two-thirds or more of respondents said they had positive feelings toward it. …