Thread by @WEN_Tokyo

WEN Tokyo and the Future of the Metaverse 

Part I: #Frens

The term “metaverse” has become a ubiquitous, amorphous label applied to all forms of digital life. 

@punk6529 recently described the metaverse as the visualization layer for NFTs. But what does that mean?

1/🧵

2/ Any network of meaningful relationships mediated by the internet is the metaverse. 

Twitter is the metaverse. 

Discord is the metaverse. 

Your group chats are the metaverse.

3/ The threads that tie all of these divergent concepts together are humans and real, substantive relationships: the communication layer.

When we apply digital ownership to the communication layer, more durable networks form, and infrastructure for new relationships is created.

4/ Digital ownership brings the human layer into focus. 

There is a human behind every NFT.

There’s a reason why NFTs gained massive popularity as PFPs.

It’s the same reason you’ll hear adults exclaiming, “I am my penguin and my penguin is me!” at meetups across the world.

5/ We have tapped into the tribalism of collective consciousness that is intrinsically human – and frankly a lot of fun.

6/ #OnChain relationships untether us from platforms and their algorithms — and perhaps even allow us to be more human.

They are an expression of our creative selves – for some our inner child – to discover connections in an instant that many have been seeking for a lifetime.

7/ The new world we are building together begins and ends with the human layer — and as we continue into this new frontier, we need to cherish and celebrate our collective humanity more than ever before. 🤝

8/ If on-chain relationships can transcend digital platforms, what’s the next unlock?

In the post-2020 world, we have learned the of power remote work and collaboration via the internet — but we’ve also learned its limits.

There is no replacement for IRL, human connection. 🫂

9/ If you've attended an #NFTcommunity event or meetup, you've felt the ✨spark✨ that meeting the human behind the avatar creates.

You truly understand the strength of the bond that on-chain communities enable.

10/ NFT ‘frens’ meeting IRL for the first time feel like old pals picking up just where they left off.  🗯️

Lifelong friendships can be formed instantly. It’s uncanny.

11/ The realization that you’re part of a network for life can be surprisingly moving, and these IRL interactions become touchstones — memories that you will cherish for the rest of your life.

12/ The explosion of creative energy unlocked by these types of IRL encounters is hard — if not impossible — to replicate.

We propose that the #metaverse encompasses offline as well as online interactions. Can those who hold the current monopoly over online connection keep up?

13/ Maybe that is why #Meta’s metaverse hasn’t really hit right?

Is the true power of human connection and an open border between digital and physical going to be the defining factor that ensures the future is run collectively through an #OpenMetaverse? 🌐

14/ Perhaps instead of all the ideology, politics and economics, the most pivotal aspects that decide the fate of #web3 will be "do I care?" and "is it fun?"