The emergence of Web 3.0 has made NFTs and the Metaverse two commonly used terms in the technological world. With exponential growth in their popularity, it is important to understand their key difference and how they fit in the Web 3.0 landscape.

Understanding NFTs

NFT is an acronym for non-fungible tokens. Assets such as virtual lands, collectibles, digital pieces, etc. are represented digitally by NFTs. They are tokens that are dependent on blockchain technology. This technology is used to connect NFTs to cryptocurrencies.

Non-interchangeability is the main characteristic of NFT. This implies that there are no identical items that an NFT can be substituted with. As a result, it becomes a digital asset that belongs to the buyer only.

Read more about NFT’s virtual lands in the metaverse!

Understanding The Metaverse

The Metaverse is a web 3.0 front-end revolution. Web 3.0 is a decentralized internet where distributed communities play and live. Together with emerging technologies such as blockchain, artificial technologies (AI), virtual reality (VR), and machine learning among others, the Metaverse will play an important role in Web 3.0.

The Metaverse already has people living in it, which is even more interesting. In addition, engineers and founders are exploring ways to build more immersive metaverse platforms.

Read more about the Metaverse here!

The Key Differences Between NFTs and The Metaverse

The concept of NFTs and the Metaverse is changing how the internet will operate in the future. Both will play a vital part in Web 3.0 even though they are different. Metaverses are virtual worlds, while non-fungible tokens are virtual tokens. Below are the key differences between them.

1.  Foundations

An effective comparison can be made from the definition of both NFTs and the metaverse. Blockchain technology serves as the foundation for comparing NFTs and metaverses. Blockchain, which is a core component of NFTs, is needed to develop smart contracts, which govern ownership and transactions.

The goal of the metaverse, on the other hand, is to build a shared, open, extremely participatory, and persistent internet. The metaverse also has a variety of characteristics, including decentralization, experiences, creator economies, and user identities.

2.  Origins

When comparing the origin of the metaverse and NFT, it is clear what each technology's goals and vision are. In terms of goals, there isn't just one for the metaverse. It strengthens decentralization and makes way for a wide range of additional use cases.

Also, it is believed that the idea of the metaverse has its origins in a science-fiction novel, which depicts the metaverse as a place of escape from the realities of the real world.

3.  Usability

The usability of both technologies is another prominent difference between them. Due to this, they can be found on different platforms. You can get hold of the best NFTs from many NFT marketplaces. OpenSea is the largest NFT marketplace right now where you can view all the information about the NFT you are purchasing.

Also, the metaverse is available and easily accessible through various platforms as well. The Sandbox metaverse, the Roblox game metaverse, and other metaverse platforms, including the Facebook Meta platform, are all accessible to users. Any metaverse platform is accessible with just a set of your preferred VR or XR devices.

Conclusion

The key difference between NFTs and the metaverse reveals that they are not the same. Virtual worlds and virtual tokens which are used to define the metaverse and NFTs respectively have close ties to decentralization. They are also fundamental to the future of Web 3.0.