In association with Alkimi Exchange

The metaverse has become firmly entrenched in the public consciousness: it was ranked second in the Oxford English Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2022. But what is it really? Does it still exist? And is there genuine demand among brands and advertisers?

Opinions are divided on each of these (and more) questions. In this article, we’ll explore some aspects of the metaverse to establish why it’s so hard to define.

What is the metaverse? How does it look?

The term metaverse first appeared in the 1992 science fiction novel. snow shock by Neal Stephenson. In the story, the metaverse is a virtual world that appears as an urban street, entered via terminals and viewed through special glasses.

Technologists and futurists have expanded…