The metaverse is the subject of competing visions from companies like Microsoft and Facebook’s parent company, Meta, but an open-source vision from Seattle science fiction author Neal Stephenson is gaining traction.
Although Stephenson lacks the billions of dollars at his disposal of the tech giants, he does have one competitive advantage. The science fiction novel “Snow Crash,” published in 1992, is where he first articulated the idea of the “metaverse.”
Lamina1, the company Stephenson and digital currency pioneer Peter Vessenes co-founded, plans to utilize blockchain, a technology that is currently as trendy as the multiverse itself.
The goal is to create a “Lamina 1” (Layer 1 in Latin) blockchain platform that content creators can use to their advantage while designing and constructing their own slice of the metaverse.
Stephenson told me in November that the metaverse envisioned by Meta and Facebook wasn’t quite up to par with his idea of a virtual world on a planetary scale. Those “planet-scale things” are not something they discuss, Stephenson added.
In the following months, the author made up his mind to give it a try himself.
“The 30th anniversary of ‘Snow Crash,’ and recent interest in actually establishing the Metaverse, has got me thinking about how to achieve it in a way that’s loyal to the original concept,” Stephenson remarked in June when the veil was removed on Lamina1.
That’s open-source software that ensures creators get paid for their work while also fostering a culture of innovation.
Vessenes, in a Medium post, argued that the transactional transparency of blockchain would work well with a Stephenson-style metaverse.
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Vessenes described it as the foundation upon which the rest of the Open Metaverse would be built. “I think of it as the base layer for the Open Metaverse: a location to create something a bit closer to Neal’s vision,” he explained.
Since this past June, Lamina1 has taken on more of the characteristics of a traditional tech startup, with Stephenson serving as chairman, Vessenes as CEO, Magic Leap alum Rebecca Barkin as president, and Google alum Jamil Moledina as vice president of gaming, partnerships, and media.
In a technical white paper released last month, the corporation “waved the pirate flag” for a creator-owned and -operated digital economy, praising the growth of digital commodities and digital currencies.
The initial software tools are scheduled to be released this month, a blockchain test net is scheduled to be established in November, and the alpha version of a metaverse-enabled browser is scheduled to be released in December, all according to the technical roadmap laid forth in the white paper.
In the month of February, Los Angeles will host the inaugural Open Metaverse Conference.
According to Lamina1, a virtual world based on Stephenson’s metaverse idea is “under active early-stage development.”
“Neal Stephenson’s THEEE METAVERSE promises a highly envisioned interactive virtual environment with a memorable genesis tale,” the white paper states.
Real-life Building of the metaverse, whether by Meta, Microsoft, Lamina1, or a consortium of these and other digital giants, will not happen overnight.
It is unclear how much financing Lamina1 is using, but the website claims 17 investors, including LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and Seattle-based Pioneer Square Labs managing director and co-founder Geoff Entress.
Losing interest in the idea is not unprecedented. Stephenson ran a Kickstarter campaign for his sword-fighting video game Clang a decade ago. Although Stephenson received over $525,000 in donations, he was forced to suspend the project and provide refunds in 2014. Initially, he stated, “The prototype was technically clever, but it wasn’t particularly exciting to play.”
Lamina1 or the entire multiverse runs the risk of having the same thing said about them in the future. The virtual and physical stakes, though, will be bigger this time around.
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Frequently Asked Question
How Does Neal Stephenson Feel About the Metaverse?
Stephenson told me back in November that the metaverse as envisioned by Meta and Facebook wasn’t quite on par with his vision for a virtual world of planetary proportions. According to Stephenson’s statement at the time, “they’re generally not talking about those kinds of planetary-scale things.”
Is Mark Zuckerberg a User of the Metaverse?
Mark Zuckerberg’s obsession with the metaverse stems from his desire to make science fiction a reality before the rest of society is ready for it. In spite of his best efforts, his vision of an augmented reality/virtual reality-based metaverse will never be mainstream enough to attract the attention of a firm worth a trillion dollars.
How About a Metaverse Investment?
Foresightful exchange-traded funds (ETFs) like ProShares Metaverse ETF and Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF give investors access to the metaverse. Metaverse exchange-traded fund with subversive tendencies.
