Decoding the Metaverse: How Web Standards are Building the 3D Web

John: Welcome, everyone, to our deep dive into a topic that’s been buzzing for years but is now taking more concrete shape: the Metaverse. There’s a lot of hype, of course, but today, Lila and I want to cut through some of that and focus on the foundational technologies, particularly the concept of the “3D Web” and the crucial role of web standards in making it all a reality.

Lila: Thanks, John! I’m really excited to get into this. “Metaverse” is a term I hear constantly, but it often feels a bit vague, like this giant, futuristic thing. I’m hoping we can make it more understandable for our readers, especially those who are new to the idea of an interconnected 3D internet.

Basic Info: Demystifying the Metaverse and the 3D Web

John: Absolutely, Lila. Let’s start with the basics. The Metaverse, at its core, isn’t just one game or a single piece of software owned by one company. Think of it more like the internet itself – a vast, interconnected network of persistent, shared, 3D virtual worlds and experiences. We often refer to this evolving concept as the spatial web (a term for a computing environment that blends digital information with our physical world, often experienced in 3D).

Lila: So, it’s less like a single destination and more like a new layer of reality I can step into, built on the internet? Like a 3D version of the web where I can interact more directly? How does the “3D Web” specifically fit into that picture?

John: Precisely. The 3D Web is essentially the collection of technologies, protocols, and, crucially, web standards (agreed-upon technical specifications) that enable these immersive, three-dimensional experiences to run effectively *on* the web, or be accessed *through* web technologies. Just as HTML (HyperText Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), and JavaScript form the backbone of the 2D web we use every day, the 3D Web relies on its own set of tools and standards to render and manage 3D environments and interactions, often directly in a web browser.

Lila: Okay, that makes more sense. So, the Metaverse is the grand vision of interconnected 3D spaces, and the 3D Web provides many of the foundational building blocks, especially for making it open and accessible like the current web? It’s not just about everyone wearing VR headsets all day?

John: Exactly. While Virtual Reality (VR) offers a deeply immersive way to experience these spaces, the Metaverse and the 3D Web are broader concepts. They encompass VR, Augmented Reality (AR – which overlays digital information onto the real world), Mixed Reality (MR – a blend of physical and digital worlds), and even traditional 2D screens like your computer monitor or smartphone, accessing and interacting with 3D environments. It’s an evolution, aiming to add a new dimension to our digital interactions.

Lila: That’s a relief! It sounds like a monumental undertaking to build this. What are some of the core components or characteristics that define these Metaverse experiences we’re talking about?

John: There are several key characteristics we look for:

• Persistence: These virtual worlds continue to exist and evolve, even when individual users are not logged in. Think of a shared virtual city that changes over time based on collective actions.
• Avatars: Users are represented by avatars (digital representations of themselves), which can range from realistic humanoids to fantastical creatures, allowing for identity and presence.
• Digital Assets and Economy: The ability to create, own, and trade virtual goods and services. This is where technologies like NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens – unique digital certificates of ownership recorded on a blockchain) are often discussed, as they can represent ownership of virtual land, collectibles, or avatar clothing.
• Social Interaction: Rich, synchronous social experiences are central, allowing many users to interact with each other and the environment simultaneously.
• Interoperability: This is the holy grail for an open Metaverse – the ability for users to seamlessly move their avatars, assets, and identity between different virtual worlds or platforms created by different providers. This is where web standards become absolutely critical.
• Accessibility: Ideally, these experiences should be accessible across a wide range of devices and to people with varying abilities.

Lila: Interoperability sounds like the biggest challenge, but also the most important for making it truly feel like a “web” of worlds rather than a bunch of separate apps. Is that a fair assessment?

John: Absolutely. Without strong, widely adopted open standards, we risk ending up with a collection of disconnected “walled gardens” instead of a truly unified Metaverse. The dream is to have the same freedom and connectivity in the 3D Web as we do on the 2D web today, where you can browse any website using any browser.

Supply Details: The Building Blocks – What Powers the Metaverse?

John: Let’s talk about the “supply side” – the actual technologies, infrastructure, and tools needed to build and run these 3D Web experiences. It’s a complex stack, involving multiple layers.

Lila: I’m picturing more than just powerful computers and VR headsets. What does this stack look like?

John: You’re right, it’s quite comprehensive. Key elements include:

• Hardware: This is the most visible layer for many. It includes VR/AR/MR headsets (like Meta Quest series, HTC Vive, Apple Vision Pro, Microsoft HoloLens), but also haptic feedback devices (gloves, suits that provide a sense of touch), high-performance PCs and gaming consoles, and increasingly capable smartphones and tablets.
• Software and Platforms: This is where the virtual worlds are actually built and experienced.
  • Game Engines: Powerful tools like Unreal Engine (from Epic Games) and Unity are fundamental for creating high-fidelity 3D environments and interactive experiences.
  • 3D Modeling and Animation Tools: Software like Blender (open-source), Autodesk Maya, and Houdini are used to create the 3D assets – the characters, objects, and environments.
  • Virtual World Platforms: These are existing platforms where users can interact in shared 3D spaces, such as Roblox, Fortnite Creative, VRChat, Decentraland, and The Sandbox. Many of these currently operate as those “walled gardens” we mentioned.
• Networking Infrastructure: The Metaverse will demand enormous amounts of data to be transmitted with very low latency (delay). This means a heavy reliance on high-bandwidth internet connections like fiber optics, 5G, and future 6G networks, as well as advanced Wi-Fi standards like Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7.
• Compute Power: Rendering complex, persistent, multi-user 3D worlds in real-time requires immense computational resources. This will involve a combination of local processing (on the user’s device) and, critically, cloud computing and edge computing (processing data closer to the user to reduce latency).
• Decentralization Technologies (Optional but often discussed): For a more open Metaverse, technologies like blockchain, cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs – community-led organizations without central leadership) are proposed for managing identity, ownership, and governance.

Lila: That’s a massive ecosystem of technologies! You mentioned “walled gardens” again in the context of current platforms. Could you elaborate on what that means for an average user who might just want to try out the Metaverse?

John: Certainly. A “walled garden” refers to a closed ecosystem or platform where the controlling company dictates the rules, tools, and often owns the user data and assets created within it. For example, if you buy a virtual item or create an avatar in one game or platform, you usually can’t take it with you to another unrelated game or platform. Your identity and your digital possessions are locked into that specific “garden.”

Lila: So, if I spend a lot of time and maybe even money customizing my avatar in Platform A, I can’t just show up as that same avatar in Platform B? That sounds frustrating and limiting if we’re aiming for a unified experience.

John: Exactly. That’s the core problem that an open, standards-based Metaverse aims to solve. The vision is to enable users to have persistent digital identities and portable assets that they truly own and can use across many different experiences, regardless of who created them. This is where the hard work of developing and adopting interoperability standards becomes so essential. Organizations like the Web3D Consortium, which has been working on 3D standards for decades, and the more recent Metaverse Standards Forum are pivotal in this endeavor.

Technical Mechanism: How Web Standards Enable the 3D Web and Metaverse

John: Now let’s get into the real engine room: web standards. These are the agreed-upon technical specifications and protocols that ensure different software systems, browsers, and devices can communicate and work together. For the 3D Web and an open Metaverse, they are the bedrock of interoperability (the ability of different systems to exchange and make use of information effectively).

Lila: This sounds like the really crucial, behind-the-scenes work. What are some of the key standards or organizations we should be aware of in this space?

John: There are several vital players and technologies:

• W3C (World Wide Web Consortium): This is the main international standards organization for the World Wide Web. They oversee the development of well-known standards like HTML, CSS, XML, and are actively involved in shaping standards for the immersive web. Their work on things like the WebXR Device API (an Application Programming Interface that allows web browsers to access VR and AR hardware capabilities) is fundamental. This API means you can potentially experience immersive content directly in your browser, without needing to download a separate app for every single experience.
• WebGL (Web Graphics Library): Managed by the Khronos Group, WebGL is a JavaScript API for rendering interactive 2D and 3D graphics within any compatible web browser without the use of plug-ins. It’s the workhorse for most 3D content you see on the web today and is essential for browser-based Metaverse experiences.
• glTF (GL Transmission Format): Also from the Khronos Group, glTF is often described as the “JPEG of 3D.” It’s an open, royalty-free specification for the efficient transmission and loading of 3D scenes and models by applications. Its widespread adoption is key for portable 3D assets – imagine creating a 3D object once and being able to use it across multiple platforms that support glTF.
• USD (Universal Scene Description): Originally developed by Pixar Animation Studios and now open-sourced, USD is a powerful and extensible framework for interchanging 3D computer graphics data. It excels at describing, composing, and collaborating on complex 3D scenes and is gaining significant traction in visual effects, animation, and increasingly, for Metaverse applications.
• X3D (Extensible 3D Graphics): An ISO standard developed by the Web3D Consortium, X3D is a royalty-free open standard file format and run-time architecture for representing and communicating 3D scenes and objects on the web. It’s the successor to VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) and supports features like humanoid animation (via its HAnim standard), geospatial data, and integration with web technologies.

Lila: Wow, that’s quite a list of acronyms and technologies! So, if I, as a user or a creator, make a virtual chair using the glTF format, the idea is that this chair could be easily imported and used in different Metaverse platforms, as long as they all agree to support the glTF standard?

John: That’s precisely the vision, Lila. And it extends beyond just static objects like chairs. The goal is for standards to cover avatar appearances and animations, descriptions of environments, physics, interactions, and even social protocols. This is where the Metaverse Standards Forum comes into play. It was launched by the Khronos Group and many other founding members to be a venue for cooperation between various standards organizations and companies to foster the development of these interoperability standards.

Lila: So the Metaverse Standards Forum isn’t creating entirely *new* standards from scratch by itself, but rather helping existing standards bodies and the industry to coordinate and ensure the existing and upcoming standards can work together effectively for Metaverse applications?

John: Exactly. Their mission, as stated, is “to foster and guide the development of interoperability standards that will drive the newly emerging spatial web.” They work to identify gaps where new standards might be needed or where existing standards need to be adapted or profiled for Metaverse use cases. They encourage collaboration among different SDOs (Standards Development Organizations) like the W3C, Khronos Group, IEEE, IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force), and others. The Web3D Consortium’s phrase “Building The World Wide Webiverse” really captures this idea of creating a “web of worlds” through “linked spatial experiences” based on these common standards.

Lila: That sounds incredibly collaborative and necessary. What about more complex aspects like my identity in the Metaverse? If I have an avatar, how do I prove it’s “me” across different worlds, and how do I manage my digital possessions securely if I want to take them from one platform to another?

John: That’s a critical and complex area. Traditional username/password systems tied to specific platforms don’t lend themselves well to an interoperable Metaverse. This is where concepts from Web3 (often described as a decentralized next-generation internet) are being actively explored. Technologies like DIDs (Decentralized Identifiers – globally unique identifiers that don’t depend on a central registry) and VCs (Verifiable Credentials – tamper-evident digital credentials) could allow users to control their own identity and prove attributes about themselves without relying on a single service provider. NFTs, as we mentioned, are being explored for proving ownership of digital assets.

Lila: I’ve definitely heard Web3, crypto, and NFTs mentioned a lot in the same breath as the Metaverse. So, they’re seen as potential enablers for the *open* aspects of the Metaverse, like user ownership and decentralized identity?

John: Precisely. While you can certainly have immersive 3D experiences that are part of “a” metaverse without involving Web3 components, many proponents of an *open* and user-centric Metaverse believe that Web3 principles – decentralization, user sovereignty over data and assets, and transparent, community-governed systems (like DAOs) – are highly synergistic with that vision. However, it’s important to note that the Metaverse is a broader concept than Web3; Web3 offers a potential set of tools and philosophies for how parts of it could be built and governed.

Lila: It really is like a massive, intricate puzzle where all the pieces, from 3D file formats to identity protocols, need to fit together. You mentioned SDOs working on specific parts. For example, what is an organization like MPAI (Moving Picture, Audio and Data Coding by Artificial Intelligence) doing in this space? Their name suggests a focus on AI and media.

John: That’s a great question. MPAI is an international, unaffiliated, non-profit organization that develops AI-enabled data coding standards. In the context of the Metaverse, they are working on standards like the MPAI Metaverse Model (MMM). Specifically, their MMM-TEC (Technologies) standard aims to define a framework and common interfaces for various components within a metaverse instance or across interconnected instances. The goal is to enable independently designed and implemented metaverse components – such as those managing avatars, environmental data, sensory inputs, or AI-driven interactions and NPCs (Non-Player Characters) – to interoperate smoothly. This is vital for fostering innovation and preventing vendor lock-in at a granular, functional level within metaverse experiences.

Lila: So, MPAI is trying to standardize the “language” or the “contracts” that different functional blocks of a metaverse use to talk to each other, even if those blocks are made by different developers or companies using different underlying AI technologies?

John: Exactly. Think of it as defining standardized “sockets” and “plugs” so that various metaverse services – perhaps one for avatar rendering, another for physics simulation, another for AI-powered dialogue generation – can connect and exchange data effectively, regardless of their internal workings. This includes specifying data formats for representing avatars, virtual items, user actions, and the state of the virtual world, particularly where AI plays a role in processing or generating that data.

Team & Community: The Architects of the Interoperable Metaverse

John: One of the most important things to understand is that no single company or entity “owns” the Metaverse, just as no one owns the internet. Its development, especially for an open version, is a massive collaborative effort involving a diverse global community.

Lila: That’s a hopeful thought! Who are the main players in this “team effort”? You’ve mentioned several organizations already.

John: Indeed. The key groups and communities driving this forward include:

• Standards Bodies:
  • Metaverse Standards Forum: As we discussed, this is a crucial coordinating body hosted by the Khronos Group, bringing together hundreds of organizations to foster pragmatic interoperability.
  • W3C (World Wide Web Consortium): They are developing foundational web technologies that underpin the 3D Web, like WebXR, and are exploring HTML and CSS adaptations for immersive environments. Their 3D Web Interoperability Working Group, sometimes referred to as the 3D Web WG, is particularly relevant.
  • Khronos Group: Beyond hosting the Forum, they manage vital open, royalty-free standards like WebGL, glTF, Vulkan (a low-overhead graphics and compute API), and OpenXR (an open standard for accessing VR and AR hardware and software platforms).
  • Web3D Consortium: True pioneers in 3D web standards, they maintain and develop X3D (the successor to VRML) and HAnim (a standard for humanoid animation representation). Their long-standing focus on “Linked Spatial Experiences” and building the “World Wide Webiverse” is foundational.
  • IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers): Involved in various underlying technology standards that can impact the Metaverse, from networking to display technologies.
  • IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force): Develops and promotes voluntary internet standards, particularly the standards that comprise the TCP/IP protocol suite, which are fundamental to all internet communication.
  • MPAI (Moving Picture, Audio and Data Coding by Artificial Intelligence): As we covered, developing AI-related standards critical for intelligent and interoperable metaverse components.
• Open Source Communities: Projects like Blender (the 3D creation suite), game engines with open components like Godot Engine, various WebXR development libraries, and numerous other tools and platforms contribute massively by providing accessible technology.
• Industry Consortia and Alliances: Groups of companies often form alliances to collaborate on specific aspects of Metaverse technology or to promote certain approaches.
• Academic Researchers and Universities: Constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in graphics, HCI (Human-Computer Interaction), networking, AI, and ethics related to virtual worlds. Events like the annual Web3D Conference (e.g., Web3D 2025 in Siena, Italy is the 30th International Conference on 3D Web Technology) are major venues for this community to share research.
• Individual Creators and Developers: Passionate individuals building experiences, tools, and contributing to the ecosystem.

Lila: It really does sound like a global, decentralized team effort, which is quite fitting for the vision of an open Metaverse! How can individuals or smaller companies get involved or contribute if they’re interested? It seems like such a high-level, complex domain.

John: That’s a great question. Many of these standards organizations, like the W3C and the Metaverse Standards Forum, have public working groups, mailing lists, GitHub repositories where discussions happen, and documents available for review. Contributing to open-source projects that align with Metaverse technologies is a very direct way to get involved. For companies, joining these forums and consortia is key to helping shape the standards, ensuring their future products will be interoperable, and gaining early insights. The Metaverse Standards Forum, for example, is open to any organization to join, free of charge.

Lila: That’s fantastic to hear it’s not just an exclusive club for the tech giants. So, if I were a developer interested in this space, I could potentially look into the W3C’s 3D Web Interoperability Working Group discussions, or contribute code to an open-source 3D engine, or even experiment with X3D via the Web3D Consortium’s resources?

John: Absolutely. The community thrives on diverse contributions from all levels. The Web3D Consortium, for instance, has a long and rich history of community involvement in developing its ISO standards like X3D and HAnim. Their persistent vision of “Building The World Wide Webiverse” really underscores this collaborative, standards-driven approach, aiming to create an open and universally accessible 3D web. The term “Webiverse” itself is evocative.

Lila: Yes, “Webiverse” is an interesting term. Is it just another synonym for the Metaverse, or does it carry a more specific connotation?

John: “Webiverse” is often used to specifically emphasize the web-based nature of an open Metaverse. It highlights the idea that this next-generation immersive internet should be built upon open web standards, accessible through web browsers, and seamlessly integrated with the existing World Wide Web. It strongly aligns with the work of the W3C and the technologies like WebXR, WebGL, WebAssembly, and upcoming standards for 3D content delivery and interaction. It really reinforces the Web3D Consortium’s concept of “Linked Spatial Experiences” forming a true “Web of Worlds,” rather than isolated proprietary platforms.

Use-Cases & Future Outlook: Beyond Gaming – What Can We Do in the 3D Web?

John: While gaming is often the most visible application and a significant driver of Metaverse technologies, its potential extends far beyond entertainment. The ability to create shared, interactive 3D spaces opens up a vast array of use-cases across numerous sectors.

Lila: I’m always curious about the practical applications. We hear about virtual concerts, but what else could this 3D Web enable?

John: The possibilities are extensive. Consider these:

• Social Interaction & Community: More immersive and engaging ways to connect with friends, family, and communities. Think virtual events, meetups, fan conventions, and shared hobbies in rich 3D environments.
• Collaboration & Remote Work: Virtual offices, persistent project rooms for distributed teams, collaborative design reviews of 3D models (e.g., architecture, engineering), and more engaging remote meetings.
• Education & Training: Highly interactive learning environments, virtual field trips to historical sites or distant planets, complex hands-on training simulations (e.g., surgical procedures, flight training, emergency response drills) in a safe and repeatable manner.
• E-commerce & Virtual Retail: “Try before you buy” experiences where you can see a 3D model of a product in your own space via AR, or your avatar can try on virtual clothing. Virtual showrooms and interactive product demonstrations.
• Entertainment: Beyond gaming, this includes immersive movies, interactive storytelling where the audience can influence the narrative, virtual theme parks, and new forms of art.
• Digital Twins: This is a particularly powerful application. A digital twin is a dynamic virtual replica of a physical object, process, system, or even an entire city. They can be used for real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, simulation of changes before physical implementation, and optimizing performance.
• Healthcare & Wellness: Remote therapy sessions in calming virtual environments, virtual support groups, patient education through interactive 3D anatomical models, and even guided rehabilitation exercises.
• Culture & Heritage: Virtual museums, preservation and accessibility of cultural heritage sites that may be physically inaccessible, and immersive historical reconstructions.

Lila: Digital twins sound incredibly fascinating and impactful! So, a city could have a digital twin to model and test new traffic management systems or to plan emergency responses for different scenarios without disrupting the real city?

John: Precisely. Or a manufacturer could have a digital twin of their factory floor to optimize production lines or test new robotic integrations. The future outlook, if these technologies mature, points towards a more deeply integrated physical and digital reality – that “spatial web” or the “convergence of physical and virtual realities through shared 3D spaces” that many researchers and futurists describe. It’s about adding a layer of digital information and interaction to the world around us, and creating new worlds entirely.

Lila: It truly sounds like it could touch almost every aspect of our lives. But this grand vision of an interoperable, rich 3D Web – how far off are we, realistically? Are we talking a few years, a decade, or even longer?

John: We’re definitely in the very early stages. Think of the internet in the early 1990s. We have some exciting foundational pieces, some compelling early examples and platforms, but widespread adoption, true seamless interoperability, and the kind of rich, pervasive experiences many envision are likely still a decade or more away from full maturity. Progress is heavily dependent on the continued development, refinement, and critically, the broad *adoption* of the open standards we’ve been discussing. It also depends on hardware becoming more affordable, comfortable, and powerful.

Lila: So, patience and sustained, collaborative development are the keywords. What are some of the most exciting near-term possibilities that these developing standards could unlock, say in the next 2-5 years?

John: In the nearer term, significant improvements in interoperability for avatars and basic 3D assets would be a huge step forward. Imagine customizing an avatar – its appearance, its basic animations – and being able to use that same avatar across multiple social VR platforms or simple web-based 3D games. Standardized 3D product models, using formats like glTF extensively, could revolutionize online shopping, allowing you to view and interact with a detailed 3D version of a product from any retailer supporting the standard, perhaps even previewing it in your home using AR. The work by the Metaverse Standards Forum to actively identify, categorize, and promote concrete use cases is crucial here. Their publicly available Use Case Repository is designed to help guide the priorities of the various SDOs, ensuring that standards development is focused on solving real-world interoperability problems that users and developers are facing.

Lila: A use case repository! That sounds very practical. So, they essentially collect and analyze examples of what people *want* to be able to do in the Metaverse – like “I want my avatar’s custom hairstyle to look the same in three different applications” – and then they work backwards to figure out what specific standards or extensions to existing standards are needed to make that happen?

John: Exactly. It helps prioritize the often-complex work of standards development. A use case like “portable avatar identity and appearance” would then highlight the need for standards in areas like avatar 3D model formats, material definitions, animation rigging, and perhaps associated verifiable credentials for any unique attributes or entitlements the avatar might have. It makes the abstract goal of “interoperability” much more concrete.

Competitor Comparison: Walled Gardens vs. The Open Metaverse Vision

John: When we talk about “competition” in the Metaverse space, it’s less about specific platforms directly competing with identical offerings, and more about a fundamental philosophical and architectural difference in approach: the “walled gardens” versus the “open Metaverse” vision.

Lila: You’ve mentioned “walled gardens” a few times. Could you expand on that comparison? It sounds like the core tension in how the Metaverse will develop.

John: It is indeed a central tension.

• Walled Gardens: These are typically platforms or ecosystems controlled by a single company. Examples might include Meta’s Horizon Worlds, Roblox, or aspects of Fortnite’s Creative Mode. They often offer highly polished, integrated, and user-friendly experiences because the company controls the entire stack, from creation tools to content moderation. However, this control usually comes at the cost of limited interoperability. Your assets, identity, social graph, and sometimes even the currency you earn are often locked into that specific platform. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to take them to another, unrelated Metaverse experience.
• The Open Metaverse Vision: This is the ideal that many standards bodies and open-source advocates are striving for. It’s envisioned as a decentralized network of interconnected virtual worlds, much like the current World Wide Web. It would be built on open standards and protocols, allowing users to move freely between different experiences with their digital identity, avatars, and assets. The emphasis is on user ownership, choice, and a level playing field for creators and developers.

Lila: That’s a great way to put it. It sounds almost like the difference between the old AOL (America Online) proprietary online service in the early days of the internet versus the open internet itself, where you could use any browser to access any website. One company controlled the whole experience in AOL, versus a more democratic, interconnected system with the web.

John: That’s an excellent and very apt analogy, Lila. The challenge, of course, is that building compelling, high-performance, and secure experiences is often easier and faster within a controlled, proprietary environment. The open approach requires immense coordination, consensus-building around standards, and can be slower to mature in terms of polish and features. However, the long-term benefits – fostering broader innovation, ensuring user freedom and ownership, preventing monopolistic control, and creating a more resilient digital commons – are considered by many to be far greater.

Lila: Are there any platforms or projects currently that are actively trying to build towards this more open model, perhaps by heavily leveraging the web standards we’ve discussed, like WebXR or glTF?

John: Yes, there are. Many projects are being built using WebXR to create browser-based immersive experiences, making them accessible without requiring users to download standalone applications. Platforms like Decentraland and Cryptovoxels (now Voxels) incorporate Web3 elements like NFTs for land and asset ownership and aim for a greater degree of openness and user governance. Numerous independent developers and smaller studios are experimenting with glTF for portable assets, and with open-source engines and libraries. The sustained work of the Web3D Consortium in promoting and evolving X3D as an open ISO standard for 3D content is also a key part of this ecosystem, specifically enabling “3D virtual worlds and the metaverse” to move towards an integrated network, as envisioned by researchers for many years. Their focus on “standards” and “3D” is fundamental to this open vision.

Lila: So the “competitors” in this landscape are not just different companies vying for users, but also fundamentally different philosophies about how this next iteration of the internet should be constructed and governed? It seems the Metaverse Standards Forum, by its very nature and mission, is a strong proponent of the open model.

John: Absolutely. The entire mission of the Metaverse Standards Forum is to “foster and guide the development of interoperability standards that will drive the newly emerging spatial web.” This directly supports and champions the open model. The risk, which is well recognized, is that a few very large and influential companies might establish *de facto* standards with their dominant, proprietary platforms before comprehensive open standards can fully mature and gain widespread adoption. This could lead to a fragmented metaverse, or one where openness is significantly constrained by the market power of a few players.

Lila: That’s a critical point. If one company’s proprietary way of handling, say, avatars or virtual economies becomes incredibly popular and widely used, it might effectively become the “standard” just by sheer market force, even if it’s not truly open or designed for interoperability with other systems. That would be like having only one company’s browser able to access most of the web.

John: Precisely. That’s why the proactive, collaborative work of standards bodies like the Metaverse Standards Forum, the W3C, the Khronos Group, the Web3D Consortium, and MPAI is so vital. They are working diligently to lay the open, interoperable groundwork *before* proprietary solutions become too deeply entrenched and difficult to displace. It’s about creating a level playing field for innovation.

Risks & Cautions: Navigating the Challenges Ahead

John: Despite the immense excitement and potential, it’s crucial to acknowledge that the path to a functional, open, and beneficial Metaverse is fraught with significant challenges and risks.

Lila: That’s important to discuss. It can’t all be seamless virtual utopias from day one. What are some of the major hurdles and concerns we need to be aware of?

John: There are quite a few, spanning technical, social, and ethical domains:

• Technical Challenges: We’re still grappling with achieving the necessary scale, performance, and fidelity for truly massive, persistent, and richly interactive virtual worlds. Standardizing complex behaviors, dynamic interactions, and AI-driven elements is far more difficult than standardizing static 3D models. Ensuring real-time synchronization for thousands or millions of users in a shared space is a monumental task.
• Slow Adoption of Standards: Even if excellent open standards are developed, there’s no guarantee that all companies, especially large platform owners, will adopt them if they perceive a competitive advantage in maintaining their proprietary systems. This can hinder interoperability.
• User Experience (UX) & Accessibility: Current VR/AR hardware can still be expensive, cumbersome, and sometimes cause issues like motion sickness or discomfort. Critically, we need to ensure the Metaverse is accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. The pioneering work of the W3C on web accessibility guidelines (like WCAG – Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) needs to be thoughtfully extended and adapted for 3D immersive environments. People like David Raggett from the W3C have been researching how to make 3D web content accessible, which is vital.
• Security & Privacy: Immersive environments open up new vectors for data collection (biometric data from eye-tracking or hand movements, behavioral data), harassment, identity theft, and fraud. How do we secure digital assets, protect personal data, and ensure user safety in these highly interactive shared spaces?
• Governance & Moderation: Who sets the rules in decentralized virtual worlds? How is harmful content or behavior (e.g., bullying, hate speech, illegal activities) identified and addressed, especially in environments that aim to be cross-platform and borderless? This is a huge societal and technical challenge.
• The Digital Divide: Access to high-speed internet, powerful computing devices, and expensive VR/AR hardware is not evenly distributed globally or even within countries. The Metaverse could exacerbate existing inequalities if it primarily caters to those with the resources to participate fully.
• Monopolization and Centralization: As mentioned, there’s a risk that a few large corporations could dominate the Metaverse landscape, stifling innovation, competition, and the principles of an open web.
• Mental Health & Well-being: Concerns exist about potential issues like addiction, social isolation (if virtual interactions largely replace real-world ones), body image issues related to idealized avatars, and the psychological impact of intense or negative immersive experiences.

Lila: Those are some very serious and wide-ranging concerns, John. The privacy and security aspects are particularly worrying. If our digital lives become even more deeply intertwined with these virtual spaces, protecting our digital selves, our data, and our assets becomes absolutely paramount. And the point about accessibility is so crucial – how do we ensure the Metaverse is built *for everyone* from the ground up, not as an afterthought?

John: These are indeed active areas of intense research, development, and ethical debate. For accessibility, the core principles from web accessibility – ensuring content is Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR) – need to be thoughtfully translated and applied to 3D immersive environments. This includes considerations like alternative text descriptions for 3D objects and environments, robust keyboard navigation, compatibility with assistive technologies like screen readers within virtual spaces, customizable user interfaces to accommodate different needs (e.g., text size, contrast), and solutions for users with motor impairments or sensory sensitivities. The 3D Web Interoperability Working Group at the Metaverse Standards Forum, which actively discusses these topics and sometimes features guest sessions from experts like W3C Fellow David Raggett on accessible 3D, is one venue where these challenges are being tackled.

Lila: It really sounds like building an ethical, inclusive, and safe Metaverse is just as important, if not more so, than just building a technically functional one. You mentioned earlier that the “walled garden” approach might make content moderation somewhat easier for the platform owner, but that comes at the cost of openness and user control, right?

John: Exactly. It’s a persistent tension. Centralized platforms can enforce rules more directly. Open, decentralized systems require more innovative and often community-driven solutions for governance, trust, and safety. DAOs are one proposed mechanism for community governance, but they are still largely experimental and face their own set of challenges in terms of scalability, dispute resolution, and legal recognition. Finding the right balance will be an ongoing process.

Expert Opinions / Analyses: What Are the Thought Leaders Saying?

John: As with any transformative technology, there’s a wide spectrum of opinions among experts, industry leaders, and academics regarding the Metaverse, its potential, and its trajectory.

Lila: I can imagine! It’s such a big concept. Is there a general consensus, or is it more of a mixed bag of excitement and skepticism?

John: It’s definitely a mixed bag, though certain themes emerge. We can broadly categorize viewpoints:

• The Enthusiasts & Evangelists: This group includes figures like Tim Sweeney (CEO of Epic Games), many proponents of Web3 technologies, and futurists who see the Metaverse as the next major computing platform, potentially a multi-trillion dollar economy. They often champion openness, decentralization, and user ownership as core tenets. They believe it will fundamentally change how we work, play, socialize, and learn.
• The Skeptics & Critics: This camp views much of the current Metaverse discourse as overhyped, perhaps a rebranding of existing virtual reality and gaming technologies that have been around for years (like Second Life). They point to the significant, unsolved technical and societal challenges we just discussed. Some also raise concerns about the potential for dystopian outcomes if the Metaverse is developed without sufficient ethical guardrails, leading to increased surveillance, manipulation, or social fragmentation.
• The Pragmatists & Builders: This group, which includes many individuals actively involved in the standards bodies and open-source development, tends to have a more grounded perspective. They acknowledge both the immense long-term potential and the formidable current challenges. Their focus is often on the practical, incremental work of building the foundational layers – the protocols, formats, and tools – necessary for an interoperable and functional 3D Web. They believe that a truly valuable Metaverse will emerge gradually through sustained, collaborative effort and the widespread adoption of open standards.

Lila: That makes a lot of sense. It sounds like the people who are actually in the trenches, developing the standards and core technologies, are often the most realistic, focusing on the “how” rather than just the “wow.”

John: That’s a very fair assessment, Lila. They understand the profound complexity involved in making this vision a reality. For example, Neil Trevett, who is the President of the Khronos Group and also serves as the Chair of the Metaverse Standards Forum, often speaks about the need for a pragmatic, iterative approach – building block by block, standard by standard, focusing on achievable interoperability goals. Similarly, the Web3D Consortium, with its decades of experience in 3D web technologies like VRML and its successor X3D, emphasizes the importance of “Linked Spatial Experiences” and views the web itself as the core enabler for a “Web of Worlds.” Their annual Web3D Conference series, like the upcoming Web3D 2025 in Siena, Italy, serves as a critical gathering for experts to discuss these practical steps, share research, and collaborate on advancing these international standards.

Lila: It’s really insightful to consider the perspective of organizations like the Web3D Consortium, which have been diligently working on open 3D standards for the web long before the recent Metaverse hype cycle. They must have a unique and seasoned view on what it truly takes to build an interoperable 3D internet.

John: Indeed. They’ve witnessed several cycles of interest in virtual worlds and 3D on the web. Their consistent focus on robust, open, “international standards” like X3D (which is an ISO/IEC standard) and HAnim (Humanoid Animation, also an ISO/IEC standard) provides a solid, long-term foundation that predates the current Metaverse buzz but is perfectly suited to enable its more open incarnations. They understand deeply that for “3D virtual worlds and the metaverse” to evolve from a collection of “independent virtual worlds to an integrated network,” as influential academic papers (like J.D.N. Dionisio et al.’s 2013 work, “3D virtual worlds and the metaverse: Current status and future…”) have outlined, tangible progress in areas like immersive technology and, crucially, interoperability standards, is paramount.

Lila: So, if there’s a common thread among many of these expert opinions, especially those involved in building the infrastructure, it seems to be that an *open* Metaverse, built upon a foundation of shared, interoperable standards, is the most desirable and sustainable path forward, even if it’s also the most challenging one to achieve?

John: Yes, that’s a very strong and consistent theme. The potential for a more equitable, innovative, user-centric, and economically vibrant digital future is a powerful motivator for pursuing this open approach. The work of organizations like MPAI on their Metaverse Model (MMM-TEC V2.0), which aims to be “the first open metaverse standard enabling independently designed and implemented metaverse instances to interoperate,” also clearly reflects this drive. This philosophy is a direct counter to the notion of a fragmented, proprietary, and siloed metaverse landscape. The emphasis is on creating a “metaverse standard” that fosters a rich ecosystem.

Latest News & Roadmap: What’s on the Horizon for Metaverse Standards?

John: The field of Metaverse technologies and, particularly, the development of enabling standards is incredibly dynamic. Things are constantly evolving, with new initiatives, updates, and collaborations emerging regularly.

Lila: It must be hard to keep up! Where should our readers look for the latest developments, and what are some of the key areas or milestones we should be watching out for on the standards roadmap?

John: Staying updated requires following the key organizations driving these efforts. Here’s where to look and what to expect:

• Metaverse Standards Forum (MSF): They regularly host meetings for their numerous working groups (like the 3D Web Interoperability Working Group), publish insightful whitepapers, update their use case repository, and facilitate crucial discussions between different SDOs. Keep an eye on their official website (metaverse-standards.org) and news releases for announcements about new focus areas, collaborative projects, or achieved milestones in fostering pragmatic interoperability. Their X (formerly Twitter) account @Metaverse_Forum is also a good source for quick updates, like announcements for guest sessions in their working groups.
• W3C (World Wide Web Consortium): The W3C is continuously working on evolving web standards. We can expect ongoing development and refinement of WebXR, and potentially new charters for working groups focused on immersive web technologies, accessibility in 3D, and other related areas. Their workshops, technical reports, and blog posts often signal future directions for web platform features crucial for the 3D Web.
• Khronos Group: As stewards of vital standards like glTF, WebGL, OpenXR, and Vulkan, the Khronos Group frequently announces updates, new extensions, adoptions by industry players, and new conformance tests. Progress in these areas directly impacts the capabilities and portability of 3D content and AR/VR experiences.
• Web3D Consortium: They continue to evolve X3D (currently at version 4.0) and related standards like HAnim. They actively promote the use of these ISO standards for building an open “Webiverse.” Their annual Web3D Conference (e.g., the “Call for Papers – Web3D 2025 | Siena – Italy” is out for the 30th International Conference on 3D Web Technology) is a key event for announcements, research presentations, and roadmap discussions within the 3D Web community.
• MPAI (Moving Picture, Audio and Data Coding by Artificial Intelligence): They are progressing with their MPAI Metaverse Model (MMM) standard, with versions like MMM-TEC V2.0 being released. Look for further development and adoption of their framework for interoperable AI-enabled metaverse components.
• Specific Interoperability Initiatives: Beyond general standard updates, watch for focused efforts and breakthroughs in areas like:
  • Avatar Interoperability: Significant work is underway across multiple groups to define common formats, descriptors, or protocols for avatars so they can be more easily moved and used across different platforms.
  • Portable Digital Assets: Advances in how digital assets (beyond just 3D models, including entitlements, behaviors, etc.) can be securely owned, managed, and transferred across diverse metaverse experiences, likely involving discussions around NFTs and DIDs.
  • Geospatial Standards: For AR and mixed reality experiences that are anchored to the real world, standards for representing and sharing geospatial data and an understanding of the physical environment are crucial.
• Industry Events & Publications: Major conferences like SIGGRAPH, IEEE VR, Gamescom, GDC (Game Developers Conference), and industry-specific Metaverse summits often feature significant announcements, demonstrations, and roadmap discussions from key companies and standards bodies. Tech journals and reputable online publications also provide ongoing coverage.

Lila: That’s a comprehensive list of resources! So, if our readers want to stay on the cutting edge, they should definitely be following the official blogs, news sections, and perhaps even the social media channels of these organizations. Are there any particular “themes” or overarching milestones we should be looking for in the standards development roadmap over the next year or two?

John: Yes. The central theme, unsurprisingly, remains interoperability. Every significant step forward will likely be framed in terms of how it helps different systems, platforms, tools, and assets work together more seamlessly. Specific milestones to watch for might include:

• Wider industry adoption and new robust extensions for glTF, particularly those that enable more complex materials, interactive behaviors, and richer animations.
• Concrete proposals or early-stage specifications for a common avatar interoperability framework or a set of widely agreed-upon avatar component standards.
• Continued enhancements to WebXR, including broader browser support, improved performance, and new features that make it easier to develop rich, accessible immersive web experiences.
• The first tangible outputs from the Metaverse Standards Forum’s cross-SDO collaborative efforts – perhaps in the form of best practice guidelines for implementing existing standards in a Metaverse context, or formal liaison requests to SDOs to address identified interoperability gaps.
• Further versions or new components of MPAI’s Metaverse Model standard (MMM), demonstrating practical application and industry uptake.
• Increased focus on security and privacy standards tailored for immersive environments.

Lila: It really does all come back to “interoperability,” doesn’t it? Making everything – avatars, assets, worlds, identities – play nicely together across different platforms seems to be the ultimate, overarching goal for an open Metaverse or “Webiverse.”

John: Precisely. Every successful standard, every widely adopted protocol, every collaborative breakthrough that enhances interoperability is a critical step towards realizing that vision. The journey from what some academics described as “a set of independent virtual worlds to an integrated network of 3D virtual worlds” is quite literally paved with these open standards. It’s about building bridges, not walls.

FAQ: Your Metaverse Questions Answered

Lila: Okay John, this has been incredibly comprehensive. Before we wrap up, let’s tackle some frequently asked questions that people new to the Metaverse and 3D Web might have. For instance: Is the Metaverse just one single place or app that I can download?

John: No, it’s not envisioned as a single place or app, much like the internet isn’t just one website or one browser. The Metaverse is more accurately conceived as a network of interconnected, persistent, 3D virtual worlds and experiences. The ultimate goal of developing strong web standards is to allow users to move as seamlessly as possible between these different “places” or “worlds,” taking their identity and assets with them, much like you can navigate from one website to another today.

Lila: That makes sense. Next question: Do I absolutely need a VR headset to access the Metaverse?

John: Not necessarily. While VR (Virtual Reality) headsets currently offer the most immersive and often talked-about way to experience these 3D environments, the broader vision for the 3D Web and the Metaverse includes accessibility via a wide range of devices. This includes traditional computer screens (desktops and laptops), game consoles, smartphones, and tablets. Technologies like WebXR are designed to support both fully immersive VR/AR experiences and “inline” 3D viewing experiences directly within a standard web browser page on a 2D screen.

Lila: Good to know it’s not exclusive to headset owners! Here’s a common point of confusion: What’s the actual difference between the Metaverse and Web3? Are they the same thing?

John: They are related concepts but are distinct. The Metaverse refers to the overall vision of interconnected, immersive, 3D virtual worlds. Web3, on the other hand, generally refers to a new iteration of the internet that emphasizes principles like decentralization, blockchain technologies, cryptocurrencies, and user ownership of data and digital assets (often through things like NFTs and DAOs). Web3 *can be* a foundational technological layer for building an *open* and *user-centric* Metaverse, particularly for aspects like digital economies, verifiable ownership of virtual items, and decentralized identity. However, you can have Metaverse-like experiences that don’t use Web3 technologies, and Web3 technologies have applications beyond the Metaverse. Many believe their synergy is key to achieving a truly open and empowering digital future.

Lila: That clarifies it nicely. So, who is actually building the Metaverse? Is it one company?

John: No single entity is building the *entire* Metaverse. It’s a multifaceted effort involving many different participants:

• Large technology companies (like Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Nvidia).
• Game development studios (from AAA to indie).
• Startups focusing on specific Metaverse technologies or platforms.
• Open-source communities developing crucial tools and infrastructure.
• And, very importantly, standards organizations like the Metaverse Standards Forum, the W3C, the Khronos Group, and the Web3D Consortium, who are working on the foundational interoperability layers.

Ideally, it will be a collaborative ecosystem, not dominated by any single player, much like the internet itself.

Lila: We’ve talked a lot about standards. Can you briefly explain again: How do web standards like glTF or X3D actually help the Metaverse?

John: Web standards like glTF (for efficient 3D model transmission, often called the “JPEG of 3D”), X3D (for defining interactive 3D web content), WebXR (for accessing VR/AR capabilities in browsers), and others are absolutely crucial for achieving interoperability. They provide common, agreed-upon formats and protocols that allow digital assets (like 3D models, avatars), user interfaces, and entire experiences to work consistently across different platforms, devices, and applications. This prevents vendor lock-in, fosters a more competitive and innovative ecosystem, and empowers users by allowing them to, for example, take a 3D object created or acquired in one environment and use it in another, provided both support the relevant standard.

Lila: This is a big one: Is the Metaverse safe? What about privacy concerns?

John: Safety, security, and privacy are among the most significant concerns and challenges in the development of the Metaverse. Creating safe, private, and inclusive virtual spaces is a complex undertaking that requires a multi-layered approach. This involves:

• Developing robust technical solutions for data encryption, secure identity management, and preventing unauthorized access or manipulation.
• Establishing clear community guidelines and effective content moderation strategies, which is particularly challenging in decentralized environments.
• Designing experiences with privacy-preserving principles from the outset (privacy by design).
• Educating users about potential risks and empowering them with tools to control their data and interactions.
• Potentially, new regulatory frameworks may be needed to address novel issues arising in immersive environments.

It’s an ongoing area of active discussion and development, and user awareness and control over their personal data will be paramount.

Lila: It sounds like a work in progress. So, when will the “real,” fully-fledged Metaverse actually arrive?

John: We are definitely in the very early days, often compared to the internet of the early 1990s. Some foundational elements and early applications exist, and you can experience glimpses of what might be possible. However, the grand vision of a fully interoperable, widely adopted, seamlessly interconnected Metaverse with rich, diverse content is likely still a decade or more away from full realization. Its progress depends heavily on continued technological advancements (in hardware, software, and networking), the widespread development and adoption of open standards, and successfully addressing the many technical, ethical, and societal challenges we’ve discussed.

Lila: One more about an organization we’ve mentioned a lot: What exactly is the Metaverse Standards Forum, and why is it so important?

John: The Metaverse Standards Forum is an organization, hosted by the Khronos Group, that brings together a diverse array of companies, standards development organizations (SDOs), and academic institutions. Its primary mission is to foster cooperation and coordination on interoperability standards for an open and inclusive Metaverse. Importantly, the Forum typically does not create standards itself. Instead, it provides a venue to identify interoperability requirements, discuss use cases, define terminology, and encourage existing SDOs (like W3C, Khronos, IEEE, etc.) to develop the necessary standards to fill identified gaps. Its importance lies in promoting a more unified, collaborative approach to building the “spatial web,” helping to avoid fragmentation and ensure that different parts of the Metaverse can eventually work together.

Lila: And finally, for our readers who are now really intrigued: How can I learn more about all of this, or even get involved?

John: There are many ways to learn more and potentially contribute:

• Follow the key organizations: Keep an eye on the websites and publications of the Metaverse Standards Forum, W3C, Khronos Group, Web3D Consortium, and MPAI. Many of them have public information, newsletters, blogs, and mailing lists.
• Explore working groups: Some SDOs have publicly accessible working groups or community groups where discussions happen and draft specifications are shared.
• Contribute to open-source projects: There are numerous open-source projects related to 3D graphics, VR/AR development, game engines, and web technologies that welcome contributions.
• Attend webinars, workshops, and conferences: Events like the Web3D Conference, SIGGRAPH, and specific industry summits often have tracks or sessions dedicated to Metaverse technologies and standards. Many are now accessible online.
• Read whitepapers and academic research: For deeper dives into specific topics.
• Experiment and build: If you’re a developer or creator, start experimenting with existing tools and platforms like Unity, Unreal Engine, Blender, WebXR APIs, glTF, and X3D.

The field is evolving rapidly, and there’s a constant need for diverse perspectives and contributions.

Related links

John: For our readers who are keen to explore these topics further and get information straight from the source, here are some essential resources and starting points:

• Metaverse Standards Forum: The central hub for information on cross-industry, cross-SDO cooperation to foster interoperability standards for an open Metaverse. Be sure to check out their News, Blog, and their publicly available Use Case Repository.
• W3C (World Wide Web Consortium): The primary international standards organization for the World Wide Web. Look for their work on WebXR, HTML, CSS, accessibility (WCAG), and discussions within groups like the 3D Web Interoperability Working Group.
• Khronos Group: An open consortium creating royalty-free interoperability standards for 3D graphics, virtual and augmented reality, parallel programming, vision acceleration and machine learning. Home to standards like glTF, WebGL, OpenXR, Vulkan, and SYCL.
• Web3D Consortium: A non-profit organization that develops and maintains open standards for real-time 3D communication, specifically X3D (an ISO standard, successor to VRML), HAnim (for humanoid animation), and medical working groups. They champion the vision of an open, interoperable “Web of Worlds” or “Webiverse” and host the annual Web3D Conference.
• MPAI (Moving Picture, Audio and Data Coding by Artificial Intelligence): An international non-profit organization developing AI-enabled data coding standards. Relevant for their MPAI Metaverse Model (MMM) standard, which aims to enable interoperability between independently developed metaverse components.
• Web3 and the Metaverse: Exploring New Opportunities (Capital Numbers Blog): An example of industry discussion on the intersection of Web3 concepts and Metaverse development.
• Metaverse: Technologies, Applications, and Future (TechRxiv Paper): An example of academic research providing an overview of the Metaverse landscape.
• 3D Virtual worlds and the metaverse: Current status and future… (ACM Digital Library): An influential and highly cited academic paper discussing the evolution towards an integrated Metaverse.

Lila: That’s a fantastic list of resources, John! It gives our readers a solid foundation to start their own explorations into the 3D Web, the Metaverse, and the crucial standards that will shape their future.

John: So, Lila, as we’ve discussed, the journey towards creating an open, interoperable Metaverse – or perhaps more accurately, a rich and immersive 3D Web – is undoubtedly a marathon, not a sprint. It’s a complex, multifaceted endeavor that relies heavily on the often quiet, diligent, and deeply technical work of countless individuals and organizations worldwide who are dedicated to developing and promoting open standards.

Lila: It’s definitely far more intricate and foundational than just the popular image of putting on a VR headset! But understanding the critical role of these web standards, the underlying architecture of the 3D Web, and the collective global push for genuine interoperability makes the future of these immersive experiences feel much more tangible and, hopefully, more user-centric and accessible. It’s genuinely exciting to think about how these “linked spatial experiences” will evolve and mature in the coming years.

John: Indeed. The watchwords, as we’ve seen, are collaboration and openness. Without a strong commitment to these principles from across the industry and the community, we risk ending up with a fragmented landscape of disconnected digital islands, rather than the vibrant, interconnected ecosystem that many envision. With them, however, we have a genuine opportunity to build something truly transformative: a “World Wide Webiverse” that extends the power and reach of the internet into a new dimension.

Lila: Thanks so much, John! This has been an incredibly insightful discussion. I feel like I have a much clearer understanding now, and hopefully, our readers do too, of what the Metaverse and the 3D Web that powers it are all about, and especially why these web standards are so fundamentally important.

John: My pleasure, Lila. It’s a fascinating and rapidly evolving space. If there’s one key takeaway for our readers, it’s that the essential groundwork for this next era of digital interaction is being meticulously laid right now, through the collaborative development and adoption of these crucial open web standards. The future is being built, one standard at a time.

(Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice, financial advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets. The Metaverse, Web3, and related technologies are rapidly evolving and involve significant risks. Always do your own research (DYOR) and consult with a qualified professional before making any decisions based on the information provided herein.)

Metaverse, 3D Web, Web Standards, Interoperability, Spatial Web