How To Create Your Own Metaverse
The metaverse is an emerging and evolving platform that will change how we interact, learn, work, enjoy ourselves, and even how we do business. It is touted by many as the future of the internet, and it’s frequently referred to as Web 3.0. It’s also considered to be the next evolution in social media.
In a previous article, we discussed how to become a metaverse expert and take advantage of the different opportunities the metaverse offers. If you haven’t read that post and don’t have at least a general knowledge of the metaverse and how it works, I suggest you start by reading the article linked below.
Now, if you already have a bit more background knowledge in the field, you may be wondering how to take full advantage of the metaverse and build one for yourself. If that’s your case, we’ve got you covered since, in this article, we’ll be taking a deep look at how to create your own metaverse and who are the key professionals you need to include in your team.
Step #1. Choose the Right Blockchain Setup For Your Metaverse.
Before you even start designing and developing your metaverse, you must choose the foundational infrastructure to power its economy. In other words, you need to choose the right blockchain to run everything from digital ownership to crypto payments and native tokens. When it comes to this, you first have to decide between a layer one blockchain setup and a layer two blockchain.
Before you can decide, though, you need to know what layer one and two blockchains are and how they differ from each other. This knowledge will help you determine the best course of action for the metaverse you plan to build.
What is the Difference Between a Layer 1 and a Layer 2 Blockchain?
A layer 1 blockchain is a blockchain that runs on its own network of miners or validators. Ethereum, for example, is a layer 1 blockchain. A layer 2 blockchain, on the other hand, is basically a blockchain that runs on top of another blockchain, i.e., it’s a blockchain that uses another blockchain’s network of miners. For example, Decentraland is a layer 2 blockchain built on top of the Ethereum blockchain.
But why would Decentraland build a layer 2 blockchain on top of Ethereum and not just make their own layer 1 blockchain?
The answer is simple; costs and efficiency. Building a layer 1 blockchain is a lot of work and getting miners or validators for one is even more challenging. Decentraland didn’t want to go through this slow and expensive process, so they decided to use Ethereum’s blockchain instead.
However, the problem with Ethereum is that it can only handle a certain amount of transactions and charges high gas fees for each transaction; this doesn’t make it ideal for gaming. So, Decentraland’s solution was to build another blockchain on top of Ethereum’s blockchain to make transactions faster and cheaper.
Decentraland’s blockchain works like a transaction collector which bundles all the transactions in its network into a single transaction. The bundled transaction will then be sent to Ethereum as a single transaction, resulting in a more efficient and cost-effective system.
Why Build a Layer 2 Blockchain on Top of Ethereum?
Besides added efficiency and lower operational costs, there are other reasons why it may make sense to choose the layer 2 blockchain route.
Before building your metaverse, you must consider its potential number of users and its interoperability. The latter is one of the key visions behind the original concept of the metaverse. The metaverse is supposed to become a virtual/augmented reality space that interconnects different platforms seamlessly. This interoperability between platforms can only be achieved if they all function on the same basic infrastructure.
If you build on Ethereum, your metaverse will be compatible with other metaverses constructed in it, like Decentraland and Sandbox. This means that your users can swap their tokens with other tokens built on Ethereum and thus have more flexible payment options.
Reasons to Choose a Different Layer 1 Blockchain
If the above sounds confusing, don’t worry because you can avoid dealing with blockchain layers altogether by building your metaverse on another layer 1 blockchain.
Basically, layer 2 blockchains are only needed to ensure interoperability with other metaverse platforms and because transactions on Ethereum are slow and expensive.
However, newer blockchains, like Solana and Cardano, are much faster and cheaper than Ethereum, allowing you to build your metaverse on those blockchains directly (i.e., without adding another blockchain on top). If you want to take this route, ensure that the blockchain you’ll use supports smart contracts since users need them to mint NFTs.
Step #2. Define the purpose of your Metaverse and integrate core Web 3.0 functionalities into your design.
The second step in creating your metaverse is to decide what its purpose will be. Is it for gaming? Is it for online events, shopping, or social media? Will it be for a more niche application like science fiction fans? Your answer to these questions will affect how you tackle this guide’s next steps.
For example, if you want to make a gaming metaverse, you’ll most likely need a separate native currency for your game; one for the in-game economy (for potions, swords, guns, etc.) and one for minting NFTs.
However, suppose the primary function of your metaverse is to function like a digital mall, for example. In that case, you’ll most likely need to integrate several crypto and fiat currencies to make payments easy and flexible.
Regardless of how you want your users to use your metaverse, here are some core functionalities that you must have to ensure that you’re taking full advantage of the world’s transition to Web 3.0.
Web3 and Metaverse Core Functionalities
Creator Economy
One defining characteristic of Web 3.0 and the metaverse is the rise of the creator economy, where people can create and publish anything they want in the digital space.
This trend means that to attract users into your metaverse, you need to provide them with the tools to create something they like to build. Decetraland, for example, provides its users with free 3D-modelling software to create 3D models for their metaverse.
Digital Asset Minting
Another defining characteristic of Web 3.0 and the metaverse, in general, is the ability to own and trade digital assets by minting them as NFTs.
Therefore, apart from making it easy for users to create their own assets within your platform, you should also ensure they can mint them as NFTs so other users can buy them.
Digital Real Estate
The metaverse is a digital space where people from all over the world can gather in one place. Even though the metaverse is a virtual environment, platforms are usually built as a limited number of lots of virtual land that users can buy and own, just like actual real estate.
Since the area is limited to the metaverse, brands and other businesses would love to own a piece of it to increase their revenue. So, as the designer of your metaverse, you need to ensure that anyone who wants to buy real estate can do so and that the land is limited so that scarcity drives value up over time.
A Metaverse Economy
Lastly, every functionality we mentioned earlier would be useless if your users have no way of trading their digital assets with each other or share their creations. Creators wouldn’t have the incentives to earn, and investors would have to create their assets which they don’t necessarily want to do.
So, in building your metaverse, you must pay special attention to the underlying metaverse economy. For starters, you should have some sort of in-world marketplace where your users can buy and sell NFTs and digital real estate. You also need an efficient payment system that lets users quickly pay for store items or pay each other when sharing or trading goods and, why not, even have an easy way of sending money to friends.
Step #3. Build the Back-End Layer of Your Metaverse.
Now that the overall function and design are ready, you can start building. The first and the most crucial part you need to develop is the back-end framework of your metaverse.
If you want to build a layer 2 blockchain, you’ll need a native token, just like Decentraland has MANA as its native currency. For these reasons, you’ll need to hire a blockchain developer to build the blockchain layer, a specialized economist to ensure that your tokenomics is sound, and a smart contract programmer.
However, if you want to use another layer 1 blockchain, you’ll need to hire a smart contract programmer that can code in that blockchain’s native language. Solana, for example, uses Rust, C, and C++ for its smart contracts, so you’ll need a programmer proficient in those languages.
Once the blockchain layer is ready, you can prepare the different smart contracts that will be the basis of your metaverse’s digital assets economy. It should be robust and secure, so you’ll need a 3rd-party smart contract auditor to check the smart contract your programmer produced.
To summarize, here is a list of talents you need for his step:
- Blockchain Developer to design the blockchain (if building a layer 2 blockchain).
- Economist for the native token (if building a layer 2 blockchain).
- Smart Contract Programmer for digital assets ownership.
- Smart Contract Auditor to ensure smart contract security.
Step #4. Develop Your Digital Assets and User Interface.
After building the structural framework of your metaverse, it’s time to develop its front end—the part your users will see. You must build the digital space and its environment, the avatars your users will use, navigational controls, and the user interface.
You’ll need to hire 3D modelers and background designers to build the digital space and its environment. You’ll need to tell them what your metaverse will look like and how much detail you want to put in it.
Then, for your user avatars, in addition to 3D modelers, you’ll need animators and motion Designers to build the avatars, rig them and program their movements. They will all work together to make your users’ avatars functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Lastly, for your users to easily navigate your metaverse, they need navigational menus and the likes, so you’ll also need UX/UI designers to design and build them. They will ensure that your user interface is easy to use and the overall experience fun and rewarding to keep them coming back for more.
To summarize, this step of the process requires the following talent:
- 3D Modelers and Background Designers for your metaverse’s 3D environment and other 3D assets.
- Animators and Motion Designers for your users’ avatars.
- UI/UX Designers for your user interface.
Step #5. Promote and Launch your Metaverse.
By now, you are ready to launch your metaverse. However, even though this is the last step, you should not take it lightly, for it can make or break your project. In the digital assets space, many amazing initiatives fail because they fail to attract the public’s interest.
So, to avoid being in that situation, you’ll need to invest in marketing to find users for your metaverse and ensure maximum profitability. For marketing and brand awareness campaigns, you need marketing specialists, content writers, copywriters, PPC campaign experts, and social media specialists to build your audience, who will also be your future metaversians.
Where to Hire Web 3.0 Talent?
Now, you already know the steps to build your metaverse, but one problem remains; you don’t know where to find experienced talent to help you develop your metaverse. Don’t worry because we also got you covered on that front.
Upwork
One of the easiest choices you can make is Upwork. It’s one of the biggest freelancing platforms in the world and thus has the largest talent pool.
For example, if you’re looking for a blockchain developer, just post a job offer describing your project, and Upwork will let blockchain developers on the platform know that you’re looking to hire them. Those interested in working on your project will send you proposals, and you’ll get to choose who you want to hire.
Fiverr
Fiverr is another freelancing platform, but unlike Upwork, talents here are the ones who offer the services, and you’ll get to pick whose services you’d like to use.
For example, a blockchain developer from this platform will create a post telling people what services they can offer. If you saw that post and want to hire them, you can simply send them a message, and they can immediately start working.
Web3.career
Web3.career is a relatively new job platform and a DAO specializing in Web 3.0 jobs. Only Web 3.0 job listings are allowed on the platform, so you’ll find a lot of relevant talent concentrated there.
To hire talent from that platform, you need to post an offer along with a job description, just like in Upwork. Interested applicants will send you their proposals and resume.
BaaS Companies
If hiring people isn’t your style and you don’t want to take care of the entire hiring process, you can look into Blockchain as a Service (BaaS) Companies to take care of everything for you.
Simply explain to their representative how you want your metaverse to be, and they’ll take care of everything for you; from building the back end to launching your metaverse, they’ve got you covered.
The Bottom Line
There you have it! That’s how you build your metaverse. There’s no doubt that it’s complicated, and there’s a ton of work involved, but considering the potential benefits you can reap from all those efforts, it is definitely worth it,
Everything hard is worth doing; this is especially true about building a metaverse; you’re not just doing it to make money, you’re also actively pushing the boundaries of technology with many other pioneers.
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Jordan Bishop
Latest posts by Jordan Bishop (see all)
- How To Create Your Own Metaverse - December 20, 2022
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