Creator Economies, Blockchain, AI & the Open Metaverse – Neal Stephenson & Rebecca Barkin, Lamina1

Nov 18, 2025

Guest

Neal Stephenson

Guest

Rebecca Barkin

Rebecca Barkin, co-founder of Lamina1 and creator-economy innovator, dives into the decentralized multimedia platform Spaces, enabling creators to control their IP and royalties. Alongside her, Neal Stephenson, famed sci-fi writer and co-creator of Artifact, discusses a dystopian world with competing AIs, co-created with Weta Workshop. They explore how blockchain can empower creators against Big Tech, emphasizing collaborative lore creation in a living IP experiment. This conversation highlights the future of creator economies and the resurrection of the open metaverse.

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ANECDOTE

Lost Seattle Parallel-World Demo

Rony Abovitz described Neal Stephenson's Magic Leap Seattle project where a hacked machine opened windows into parallel worlds across the city.
The demo turned a mile radius of Seattle into a story-driven game board but its IP remains trapped at Magic Leap.

INSIGHT

Creators First For A Real Metaverse

Neal Stephenson argued a decentralized metaverse needs creators to be recognized and paid first.
He concluded blockchain aligns with that need by enabling creator compensation and asset ownership.

ADVICE

Design From Creativity, Then Monetize

Rebecca Barkin warned against designing experiences backward from financial outcomes.
She advised to start with strong creative ideas and then layer monetization fairly for contributors.

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Neal Stephenson—legendary sci-fi author who coined "metaverse" in his 1992 novel Snow Crash—and Rebecca Barkin, co-founder of Lamina1, return to the AI XR Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about building a decentralized creator economy, launching their dystopian AI world-building project Artifact, and why blockchain might finally free creators from Big Tech's chokehold.

Joined by Charlie, Ted, and Rony, the discussion spans Neal's lost Magic Leap project, the resurrection of the open metaverse dream, and how decentralized platforms could flip Hollywood's power structure on its head.

Rebecca details Lamina1's journey from blockchain currency for the open metaverse to Spaces, a multimedia creator platform built on Ethereum that allows IP owners to retain control, set royalties, and build direct relationships with fans.

Think YouTube meets Discord, but on decentralized rails. The goal isn't socialism—it's a creative meritocracy where artists get equity in platforms they help build, instead of just one-time payouts while Netflix captures all the value.

Neal unpacks Artifact, Lamina1's first creative test case: a post-Singularity world where 12 competing mega-AIs fight over energy, copper, water, and GPUs while humans live in the interstices. Co-created with Weta Workshop using AI tools like World Labs' marble splats, the project invites fans to co-create lore, not just consume it. It's a living experiment in collaborative IP development—and proof that small teams with AI amplifiers can build Grand Theft Auto-scale worlds.

Guest Highlights

Neal Stephenson coined "metaverse" in Snow Crash; former Magic Leap creative lead with lost IP still trapped at the company.
Rebecca Barkin pivoted Lamina1 from metaverse currency to Spaces: a decentralized platform for multimedia creators retaining IP rights and earning equity.
Artifact launches as Lamina1's test case—collaborative world-building in a dystopian post-AI Singularity where fans shape the narrative.
Built on Ethereum with Consensus Network backing; uses blockchain to solve micro-transaction volatility and give creators sustainable economics.
Signed Bob's Burgers team (Ghosted Media) and other Hollywood refugees seeking autonomy from studio gatekeepers.

News Highlights

Valve launches PC cube + wireless Index headset—sub-$1000 system to compete with Xbox/PlayStation and revive PCVR market, but will enthusiasts bite?
Meta adds real-time computer vision to AI glasses—Ray-Ban smart glasses gain live AI interpretation, pushing toward inflection point for wearables.
Google Maps integrates Gemini AI—natural language directions and real-world context awareness transform navigation into conversational copilot.
11 Labs launches voice marketplace—Michael Caine licenses voice cloning; Matthew McConaughey invests but won't sell his own likeness.
Disney announces AI user-generated content strategy—Bob Iger teases platforms for fans to create with Disney IP, following Lego's remix culture playbook.

Big thanks to our sponsor Zappar.

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