Recently, a friend asked me how to get into the metaverse—and honestly, that’s a pretty interesting question. When it comes to the metaverse, many people still have their heads full of fog. But if you truly want to take part, the route isn’t as complicated as you might think.

The concept of the metaverse was actually written into the science-fiction novel *Snow Crash* as early as 1992, describing a virtual world parallel to reality. The main ways to enter the metaverse today are through three tracks: NFT, GameFi, and SocialFi.

First, let’s talk about NFTs. This thing hasn’t lost its heat over the past couple of years. Some people have even spent sky-high sums on rare artworks. At its core, an NFT is a form of blockchain token that represents a certain kind of right or identity you hold in the virtual world. The best part is that holding a specific NFT may give you access to an online community, along with benefits such as early air drops, discount purchases, and more. These communities are often organized as DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations), where all members participate equally in decision-making rather than having just a few people call the shots. Because NFTs are based on the uniqueness of the blockchain—each one is one of a kind—this scarcity is especially attractive to collectors.

Then there’s GameFi, which may be the easiest way to understand how to enter the metaverse. In simple terms, it’s play-to-earn—by completing tasks and winning matches in the game, you can earn token or NFT rewards. The most remarkable thing is that the metaverse breaks physical limitations. Imagine you’re sitting at home, putting on a virtual headset, and joining a global eSports tournament, or taking a virtual trip to famous landmarks around the world. You can even switch instantly from one end of the Earth to the other, experiencing entirely different virtual environments. This kind of immersive experience is something traditional games can never provide.

SocialFi is, in my view, the most promising direction. Put simply, it’s turning your social influence into profit. In the Web2 era, content creators found it hard to make money directly, and the power of speech was in the hands of platforms. But in SocialFi, you can earn token rewards through creation and interaction. Take an extreme example: if Musk posts a random tweet, it can influence coin prices—that’s a direct reflection of personal value. Although ordinary people’s influence is limited, the core of SocialFi is to break this “influencer monopoly,” giving everyone a chance to profit through social activity.

Right now, ways to enter the metaverse are still evolving. Some games even combine GameFi and SocialFi: you register for free, earn NFTs or tokens after you clear each level, and then sell them on the secondary market. In this way, the act of creating itself becomes the reward, and the content can generate returns. Even more important is that you truly own your own data and aren’t monitored by any platform—which is a huge shift for creators.

All in all, the metaverse is still in an early stage of exploration, with many ways to participate. The key is to be willing to try new technologies—like AI and AR tools. The only thing that never changes in this world is change itself. To embrace the future, you need to embrace change. If you’re still unsure how to get into the metaverse, start by learning about NFTs or trying out a GameFi project—experience step by step, and find your own way to participate.