Mastering NFTs and the Metaverse: A Complete Investment Guide from Scratch

2025-12-24 12:29:47

Remember the virtual world full of possibilities in “Ready Player One”? In reality, you might already be on the edge of the metaverse—when you spend money on LINE animated stickers to interact humorously in groups, the core difference from NFT players buying digital assets on virtual platforms is just one key point: you own a license to use the enterprise server, whereas they own real assets that can cross any virtual world.

How to play with the metaverse and NFTs? First, understand what they are

What is the metaverse?

The term “metaverse” originates from the 1992 novel “Snow Crash,” depicting a parallel virtual universe to reality. Today, the metaverse refers to a visually rich, fully functional virtual ecosystem. In this space, users can work, entertain, shop, and socialize—all supported by a technological framework: blockchain and NFTs.

Famous investor Matthew Ball once said: “The metaverse represents the fourth wave of computing after mainframes, personal computers, and mobile devices.” This statement reveals that the metaverse is not just a game but a technological revolution.

How to understand the core of NFTs?

NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) are blockchain-based digital assets that act as “anti-counterfeit IDs” in the metaverse. They ensure the uniqueness, true ownership, and tradability of virtual items.

What would a virtual world without NFTs look like?

Items bought cannot be resold; their value is forever locked on the platform server
Virtual clothes created can only be worn by oneself; no commercialization
Hard-earned assets could be wiped out overnight by the platform

However, through blockchain technology, NFTs provide a transparent, decentralized trading environment, giving users true ownership.

Core differences between NFTs and traditional digital assets

Feature	Traditional Digital Assets	NFT Assets
Uniqueness	Can be copied identically	Each is one-of-a-kind
Ownership	Difficult to prove	Transparent and verifiable on blockchain
Liquidity	Limited to platform	Freely tradable across multiple markets
Editability	Can be modified at will	Content is immutable after creation
Copyright Management	Vague	Creators can set and manage rights
Use Cases	Mainly consumption	Collecting, investing, gaming, and more

How do metaverse projects drive the crypto market?

The metaverse and cryptocurrencies are highly correlated—prosperity and decline go hand in hand.

In the last bull market, projects like Decentraland and The Sandbox sparked a frenzy of buying virtual land. MANA tokens surged by 4,100% in 2021, far outperforming Bitcoin’s same period; The Sandbox virtual land prices soared from 1,000 to 45,000, surpassing Taipei real estate prices. This wave attracted massive capital into the entire crypto market.

However, after the crypto market peaked and corrected, the floor prices of metaverse NFT projects kept hitting new lows. Some niche projects even faced no buyers and no transactions. This reminds investors that although the prospects of the metaverse are promising, liquidity remains a significant issue at this stage.

How to participate in the metaverse? Complete steps to play with NFTs

For ordinary investors, creating a metaverse project is too costly. The most practical way to participate is to buy and trade NFTs or related project tokens. Here is the standard process to enter the metaverse:

Step 1: Choose an NFT trading platform

OpenSea is currently the most mainstream NFT trading platform, with full features and many users. Other platforms are similar in gameplay, but OpenSea offers the widest trading depth and project coverage.

Step 2: Set up a digital wallet

You need a digital wallet to connect to the trading platform. The wallet is essential for buying, selling, transferring, and all interactions. When first connecting, the system will ask you to accept terms and create an account (no account opening fee).

Step 3: Purchase cryptocurrency

Ethereum (ETH) is usually used as the trading medium. You can buy cryptocurrencies through major exchanges and transfer them into your wallet. Make sure your wallet has enough funds for transactions.

Step 4: Select and buy NFTs

Browse various NFT projects on the platform. If the floor price seems high, you can participate in auctions—auction prices are often below the market floor, offering opportunities to snag bargains, but extremely undervalued prices will eventually revert to value.

Step 5: Sell your NFTs

In your profile, find the NFTs you hold. You can choose to list them directly for sale or participate in auctions. Set the price and duration before listing. The platform also shows other buyers’ offers (usually below the floor price). If you need to sell quickly, you can accept offers directly.

Three golden rules for safely exploring the metaverse

Never input your private key on unfamiliar platforms (your private key is like your bank password—never share it!)
Use different passwords for different accounts to prevent a hack on one platform from collapsing all
Reject any “guaranteed profit” NFT airdrop ads—they are classic scams

What should new metaverse investors pay attention to?

The investment threshold and difficulty vary by project, but overall liquidity remains a major issue—many projects face no buyers or difficulty in selling. For beginners, exploring with small amounts is the best approach.

Another risk not to ignore is scams. Some projects claiming to be “metaverse” have no real application, just hype. Once market enthusiasm wanes, these assets can plummet sharply. Unless you have strong speculative skills, avoid low-profile and unfamiliar metaverse projects.

Comparison of various investment methods

Investment Type	Capital Threshold	Main Advantages	Main Disadvantages
Metaverse/NFT	Varies greatly	Can trade anytime, high volatility	Low liquidity, hard to short directly
Cryptocurrency	Lower	Supports two-way trading and leverage	Many types, quality varies
Futures/CFDs	Lower	Two-way trading anytime, high leverage	Limited profit space within reasonable bounds
Stocks	Higher	Strict regulation, most compliant	Restrictions, limited profit potential

What is the future outlook for the metaverse?

In the long term, the development potential of the metaverse is huge. Tech giants like Meta (formerly Facebook), Microsoft, and Google have begun investing in the metaverse ecosystem.

Technologically: Virtual reality and artificial intelligence will be core drivers, enhancing immersion and intelligence.

Economically: The virtual economy will further expand, with new business models and industry chains potentially bridging virtual and real worlds.

For NFTs, more innovative forms and supporting mechanisms are expected to match the development of the metaverse. Meanwhile, improved laws and regulations will lower entry barriers and reduce misconduct.

FAQs about the metaverse and NFTs

Q: Are the metaverse and NFTs scams?

Although scams exist, mainstream and well-known metaverse projects are not purely marketing or scams—they have real application scenarios. The metaverse has been recognized by mainstream capital as a development trend and remains a target of technological innovation.

Q: Is investing in the metaverse risky?

All investments carry risks. If you participate in cheap projects without understanding their nature, risks are high. But since there is no leverage involved, maintaining good trading discipline and sufficient liquidity allows for flexible entry and exit in metaverse investments.

MANA0.76%

SAND1.07%

ETH-0.76%

View Original

This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.