Do you remember the movie "Ready Player One"? The world where the protagonist wears VR goggles and races in the Oasis, earning treasures—it's actually not far from us. You might not realize that you've already been playing a simplified version of the metaverse—buying LINE animated stickers, using bear GIFs to suppress elders in family groups—these behaviors are essentially similar to NFT players buying land and trading digital art in virtual worlds. The only difference is, you spend money to buy the right to use game company servers, while they buy real digital assets that can be taken away and used anywhere.

In recent years, the NFT metaverse topic has been extremely hot, but many people still don't understand what it's really about. Today, let's talk about what the metaverse and NFTs actually are, and how ordinary people can participate.

The term "metaverse" actually originates from the 1992 science fiction novel "Snow Crash," describing a virtual world parallel to reality. Today, our understanding of the metaverse is a visually rich virtual space where people can work, entertain, shop, and socialize—all supported by blockchain and NFTs.

Why are capital and markets so enthusiastic about the metaverse? Venture capitalist Matthew Ball has an interesting view—he believes the metaverse represents the fourth wave of computing after mainframe computing, personal computing, and mobile computing. In other words, this is not just hype, but a genuine technological evolution.

So what role do NFTs play in this? Simply put, NFTs are the "anti-counterfeit ID" of the metaverse. Based on blockchain technology, each NFT is unique, providing true ownership and scarcity for virtual assets. What would a metaverse without NFTs look like? It’s like buying game treasures but unable to resell them, locked inside servers; virtual clothes designed can only be worn by oneself, with no commercial potential; houses built with effort can be taken down at any time by the platform, assets reset to zero. This is the fundamental difference between NFTs and traditional digital assets—each NFT is unique, ownership is clearly proven via blockchain, and they can be freely traded across multiple markets. Once created, content cannot be altered.

In the last bull market, projects like Decentraland and The Sandbox sparked a frenzy, with many users rushing to buy virtual land. MANA tokens surged 4100% in 2021, far outperforming Bitcoin’s performance during the same period. The Sandbox’s virtual land prices soared from 1,000 to 45,000, surpassing Taipei’s real estate appreciation. Back then, the NFT metaverse concept was extremely hot, with massive capital inflows, driving the entire crypto market.

But what happened after the bear market arrived? Floor prices kept hitting new lows, halving became common. Some niche projects even became completely ignored, unable to sell at all. In the long run, the development of the metaverse still holds potential because big tech companies like Meta, Microsoft, and Google are investing. Virtual reality and AI will become important components, and the virtual economy share will continue to expand. But investors must be cautious before entering, as overall liquidity remains relatively poor.

How to participate in the metaverse? For ordinary investors, creating projects has too high a barrier. The most practical way is to buy and trade NFTs or project tokens. The process isn’t complicated: first, choose mainstream NFT trading platforms like OpenSea; then set up a digital wallet (MetaMask is common), connect it to the platform; buy some cryptocurrencies (like Ethereum ETH) and transfer them into the wallet; finally, select your favorite NFT project to purchase. If you want to sell, just list it on the market or participate in an auction.

When participating in metaverse investments, pay attention to a few points. First, never input your private key on unfamiliar platforms (that’s your bank password), and don’t use the same password for all accounts. Also, don’t believe in “guaranteed profit” NFT airdrop ads. Second, due to low liquidity, you may face situations where no one is willing to buy, so it’s better to start with small funds. Most importantly, beware of scams. Many projects claiming to be part of the metaverse are essentially hype, and once market enthusiasm wanes, prices can plummet sharply. It’s best to stay away from projects that are unfamiliar or lack reputation.

Someone asked if the metaverse and NFTs are scams? While it’s impossible to completely avoid such risks, well-known projects with reputation are unlikely to be completely disconnected from real applications. All investments carry risks, and metaverse investments are no exception. But the good news is, without leverage, as long as you maintain good trading discipline and ensure liquidity, you can enter and exit freely.

Looking ahead, with technological advances and improved regulations, the NFT metaverse field will see more new forms and supporting models, lowering entry barriers and reducing bad actors. The bridge between virtual and real will become increasingly tight, and the metaverse truly has the potential to change how people live, socialize, and conduct economic activities. This trend is still in its early stages, with both opportunities and risks, but it’s worth paying close attention to.