Metaverse
Virtual worlds, avatars and digital twins, without the hype.
Stories from the desk
Deep dive, 15 min read (sample)
Virtual plots are sold as tokens, but the world itself runs on a company’s servers. We set out what a buyer holds, what the platform controls and where the two disagree.
Brief, 4 min read (sample)
Factories, airports and cities keep live 3D copies of themselves. What the term means outside the hype.
Explainer, 7 min read (sample)
Who you are in a virtual world, who keeps that data, and how an avatar moves (or does not) from one platform to another.
Explainer, 8 min read (sample)
Thousands in one room that does not exist: servers, shards and the tricks that make a crowd feel real.
Desk editor
Joon Park
Metaverse desk (sample)
Games and virtual worlds reporter; tests every headset we mention.
Words to know
Mint
To create a new token, for example an NFT, by calling a smart contract.
Fork
A change to a chain’s rules; a hard fork can split one network into two.
Private key
The secret number that proves you control an address. Whoever has it controls the coins.
Custody
Who holds the keys: you (self-custody) or a company on your behalf (custodial).
Our rule
We explain how crypto works and what the arguments are. We never tell you what to buy, sell or expect, and nobody pays us for coverage. Nothing on this site is financial advice.
The weekly explainer: one topic, explained in plain words, every Sunday morning (sample).