According to Cointelegraph, the blockchain project Lamina1, founded by Neal Stephenson, who coined the term 'metaverse' in his 1992 book Snow Crash, is pushing forward with its vision despite lower interest in the metaverse and some declaring it 'dead.' Google Trends data shows that search interest for the metaverse has declined in 2023 compared to its peak in 2021 and 2022.
Despite the waning interest, Lamina1 is holding a month-long event called the Open Metaverse Discovery Month in October. The firm will hold workshops and provide joint quests and bounties to equip builders and creators with the knowledge to explore metaverse experiences. Lamina1 is also co-hosting two interactive workshops for Unity and Unreal Engine developers and two Creator Competitions that will allow participants to have their art and experiences featured on their LAMINA1 Hub platform.
Rebecca Barkin, the CEO of Lamina1, remains optimistic about the metaverse despite assumptions that it's dead. Barkin told Cointelegraph that they were able to attract almost 50,000 builders into their community since they launched the project, despite the crypto winter and what many describe as the 'death of the metaverse.' Barkin believes that as long as people continue to invest time and money in digital experiences, gaming, and virtual worldbuilding, the metaverse will continue to come to life.
According to Barkin, Stephenson's vision of the metaverse wasn't just about building virtual worlds, but also challenging 'corporate greed and control.' She added that with today's technology, it's now possible to give more autonomy to creators across entertainment, gaming, commerce, fashion, and beyond to build, create, and distribute these worlds on their own.