On this episode of the Welcome to the Metaverse podcast, I chat to one of the leading voices and brightest minds in the whole metaverse & NFT space; the awesome Cathy Hackl. In this episode we discuss what stage the metaverse is currently at and how you can be part of the future with the awesome Republic Realm Academy, which is open for registration now. Cathy Hackl is a globally recognised business leader in augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and spatial computing, named as one of the top 10 most influential women in tech in 2020 by BigThink, has worked with the likes of Amazon Web Services, Magic Leap & HTC, is a top Forbes contributor, champion of diversity and one of the smartest minds in this whole space. Cathy's articles were some of the first I read when I was learning about this space too, so it was a great moment to have her on the show, thank you for coming on Cathy. ======================= This episode is sponsored by the brilliant Republic Realm who are a leader in metaverse innovation, investment, and NFTs. Registration is now open for the Republic Realm Academy (early bird pricing plus an extra 15% off with the code 'metaverseluke') - a good time to check it out at https://www.republicrealm.com/realm-academy The Republic Realm Academy, a series of online courses about the metaverse and NFTs, which will be taught by educators from some of the most prestigious universities in the world alongside top industry professionals in web 3.0 technologies. Renowned metaverse expert and this week's guest Cathy Hackl is the dean of Republic Realm Academy. Be sure to follow Cathy at https://www.twitter.com/CathyHackl and visit her website at https://www.cathyhackl.com/ To keep up with their latest updates head to their twitter here : https://www.twitter.com/joinrepublic_RE, Discord : discord.gg/ntSaG8b9sW & Substack : realmroundup.substack.com ======================= My links : Twitter : https://twitter.com/metaverseluke Email : metaversepod@gmail.com To join my weekly NFT drops and metaverse newsletter, head to metaverseluke.substack.com ======================= In this episode we talk about : - Cathy's story so far including her work with HTC Vive and Ready Player One the movie, her consultancy work, educating clients and more - The moment we're in right now with the metaverse, Meta's recent announcement and the amazing energy at NFT NYC - How brands are currently viewing the metaverse, some as more progressive thinkers and some who don't want to miss the boat of web 3.0 - Walking through the reasons of what the metaverse really is and the future vision from Cathy's perspective - A quickfire section on various industries and how they might be disrupted / what changes are currently happening, including : Fashion, Consumer to Avatar, Culture, Digital Real Estate & Gaming - A full explanation about the Republic Realm Academy - a great opportunity to gain invaluable education, level up, re-skill, become part of the workforce of the future, learn from some of the best technologists in the world and be part of an amazing alumni network

On this episode of the Welcome to the Metaverse podcast, I chat to the founder of the world's first virtual influencer agency - Dudley Nevill-Spencer. This conversation blew my mind as we talk through what a virtual influencer is, what is currently happening, how they are very likely to be the new celebrities of the metaverse and how it all connects with NFTs too. I left this conversation genuinely buzzing with what's next for this space. Dudley was the perfect guest for this episode, he has been working deeply in this space for years and knows this area better than anyone. He was also brilliant at explaining the concepts simply, whilst giving amazing insight of what is to come. I've no doubt you'll enjoy this episode, which is packed with value. ======================= It's an absolute no brainer to follow Dudley, here are his links : Virtual Influencer Agency Website : https://www.virtualinfluencer.agency/ Twitter : https://twitter.com/dnevillspencer LinkedIn : https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dudley-nevill-spencer My links : Twitter : https://twitter.com/metaverseluke Email : metaverseluke@gmail.com To join my weekly NFT drops and metaverse newsletter, head to metaverseluke.substack.com ======================= ======================= In this episode we talk about : - Dudley's journey to starting 'Virtual Influencer Agency' - from investment banking, to advertising, to early internet projects and then into the brand, influencer and avatar space - What a virtual influencer is and what they are doing right now (including many that have millions of followers) - Lu of Magalu, Lil Miquela, FN Meka and more - The evidence that virtual influencers work and why people connect and engage with them so well - How a connection with a virtual influencer is a richer and deeper experience than almost any other digital entertainment available today - A look into the technology of how they are made - the various different techniques and processes that are used to create them - The process of building a virtual influencer for a brand - including coming up with their backstory, family, tension points, 3 year plan, what they stand for and more - Ethics and the important conversation about responsibility when creating characters and virtual influencers - Why using a virtual influencer is often better for a brand than using a real influencer - Machine learning and AI which goes into building a virtual influencer and the content that is created - The role they will play in the wider metaverse, interoperability and cross platform use - How to create an entire brand with a virtual influencer - How that will combine with NFTs and the future of virtual worlds and the metaverse - The major opportunity going forward  ======================= Other Links Lil Miquela : https://www.instagram.com/lilmiquela/?hl=en Metahuman : https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/digital-humans Ready Player Me : https://readyplayer.me/

On this episode of the Welcome to the Metaverse podcast, I've put together 6 major news headlines from the metaverse in under 15 minutes. A way of you getting up to date quickly with what is happening in this space.  We cover Facebook's continued plans to invest heavily in the metaverse and their upcoming name change, a review of the Decentraland Metaverse Festival, Adobe's new NFT authentication feature being built into Photoshop and more. If you enjoy this strand, do let me know at https://twitter.com/MetaverseLuke and it's something that can become a regular feature. ======================= This episode is sponsored by Republic Realm, who are a metaverse investment and innovation platform. Republic Realm are also one of the largest owners of digital real estate NFTs in Decentraland, The Sandbox and Axie Infinity.  This week they opened registration to the Republic Realm Academy, a series of online courses about the metaverse and NFTs, which will be taught by educators from some of the most prestigious universities in the world alongside top industry professionals in web 3.0 technologies. Renowned metaverse expert Cathy Hackl is the dean of Republic Realm Academy.  Right now you can get the early bird price (which in my opinion is a steal) - all the full information is on their website https://www.republicrealm.com  To keep up with their latest updates head to their twitter here : https://www.twitter.com/joinrepublic_RE, Discord : discord.gg/ntSaG8b9sW & Substack : realmroundup.substack.com ======================= To join my weekly NFT drops newsletter, head to metaverseluke.substack.com, you can also reach out at metaversepod@gmail.com ======================= In this episode we talk about : - Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook's continued pivot towards becoming a metaverse company, including a possible name change and heavy investment in the space for the rest of this year. - A review and roundup of the recent Decentraland Metaverse Festival - A look ahead to the upcoming NFT NYC conference in New York and also the recently announced NFT LDN London conference - Adobe's announcement that they are integrating NFT credentials into Photoshop almost immediately, with major marketplaces onboard including OpenSea - Chipotle diving head first into the metaverse for Halloween inside Roblox - The future of kids toys in the from of interactive, playable NFT digital toys, which have just secured a funding round of $7.5 million from one of the most famous VC firms in the space ======================= News Sources quoted in this episode Facebook Metaverse Rebrand - https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/19/22735612/facebook-change-company-name-metaverse Decentraland Metaverse Festival - https://medium.com/@Metakey/metakey-vips-at-the-first-ever-metaverse-festival-1922db2bf801 NFT NYC - https://www.nft.nyc/  Adobe Photoshop Supporting NFT Verification - https://www.coindesk.com/business/2021/10/27/new-adobe-photoshop-feature-to-support-nft-verification-on-marketplaces/ Chipotle in Roblox - https://www.marketingdive.com/news/chipotle-hosts-virtual-restaurant-on-roblox-for-halloween-experience/608979/ Cryptoys Recent Funding Round and Story - https://twitter.com/willweinraub/status/1452682354162556940?s=20

On this episode of the Welcome to the Metaverse podcast, I chat to Asad J. Malik, CEO of Jadu AR. As you’ll hear in the episode, Asad's team have worked with some incredible people in the NFT space including major Canadian artist and NFT superstar 'Grimes'. Asad himself also directed a music video with pussy riot which went onto do over half a million dollars in NFT sales. Their latest project is a series of NFT Jetpacks that can be used to fly avatars like Meebits around in the real world. It sold out in 20 seconds and had the highest pre-reveal floor in NFT history! - take a look here : https://twitter.com/JaduHologram/status/1444014468481134597 Primarily though Asad has worked in the AR space, so we start off the conversation chatting about what is happening right now with augmented reality, then towards the end of the episode we chat more about how that all connects to the NFT space and wider metaverse. We end the chat with some alpha on Jadu’s next drop, their unique way of running whitelist access and some other projects and people that Asad is excited about too. I think Jadu are a company to watch very closely, they’re pioneering what can be done with digital assets in AR and the physical world so this was an awesome chat, with lots of great info. ======================= If you are enjoying the podcast so far and would be happy to leave a rating or review on your platform, that would be amazing and really really helps, thank you everyone who has. Do feel free to jump over to the substack too, metaverseluke.substack.com for weekly NFT news and drops that I am watching. As always nothing in this podcast is financial or investment advice, always do your own research. Enjoy this week's episode! ======================= To join my weekly NFT drops newsletter, head to metaverseluke.substack.com, you can also reach out at metaversepod@gmail.com ======================= Links for Jadu Twitter : https://twitter.com/JaduHologram Asad J. Malik - https://twitter.com/AsadJMalik Jadu Discord - discord.gg/jadu ======================= In this episode we talk about : - Asad's journey to blockchain via AR - some early investments that went wrong and more recent positive experience in the NFT space - Previous AR projects including 'Terminal 3' - an augmented reality interrogation simulation experience - How AR and VR are viewed by the mainstream and how early experiences may have done them both a disservice initially - Current AR hardware on the market and what it can be used for - Where augmented reality fits in the wider metaverse and its use cases with NFTs and digital assets - Asad's vision at Jadu, what they are building with the long term in mind - NFTs in the physical world with AR and how that will change human behaviour - Jadu's latest drop 'Jetpacks' and it's major success - selling out in 20 seconds and having the highest pre-reveal floor ever - What was the thinking behind 'Jetpacks' and what can they do (enable AR use cases for digital assets) - Upcoming Hoverboard drop, where to look and keep an eye on for the latest news and whitelist - Projects and people that Asad thinks are great in the space =======================

On this episode of the Welcome to the Metaverse podcast, I chat to Jason 'Bitbender' Brink, who is President of Blockchain of Gala Games. Gala Games are a platform building a whole range of blockchain games and have been making some serious moves in the space over the last few months. As we start to explore deeper into this space, it becomes very clear that they are going to be big players in the future of this massive blockchain gaming movement and the wider metaverse, with some of the most credible talent in the entire industry working for them. Jason lives and breathes this space and his insight on this movement was invaluable. He talks about what Gala Games are working on specifically including some opportunities that not everyone has spotted yet. We also chat about some of the major partnerships they have signed, such as the one with 888 The New World, what is bubbling in the Esports world and their epic Galacon event in Vegas in December. ======================= If you are enjoying the podcast so far and would be happy to leave a rating or review on your platform, that would be amazing and really really helps, thank you everyone who has. Do feel free to jump over to the substack too, metaverseluke.substack.com for weekly NFT news and drops that I am watching. As always nothing in this podcast is financial or investment advice, always do your own research. Enjoy this week's episode! ======================= To join my weekly NFT drops newsletter, head to metaverseluke.substack.com, you can also reach out at metaversepod@gmail.com ======================= Links for Gala Games Website - https://app.gala.games/ Gala Games Marketplace - https://app.gala.games/store Jason Brink Twitter - https://twitter.com/BitBenderBrink Gala Games Twitter - https://twitter.com/GoGalaGames Discord - https://discord.com/invite/EHgJJM6SdQ ======================= In this episode we talk about : - Jason's fascinating journey into blockchain and how the technology can make foreign aid transparent and do good for humanity - Who Gala Games are and what their vision is, including their highly credible and experienced team - Why blockchain gaming needs to be fun first, crypto second - The games that Gala Games are building themselves - Mirandus and Town Star (out now) - The play to earn mechanics for their games and Vox Collectibles - The major partnerships that Gala Games are signing including with 888 The New World - The bubbling Esports wave that is coming - The Gala Games ecosystem, how to be involved and how to support it including $GALA coin - Opportunities to get involved with the blockchain gaming movement and Gala Games - Gala Games' recent Frank Miller Sin City NFT drop - Upcoming Galacon in Las Vegas in December - What Jason thinks the next 5 years will look like in the blockchain gaming space - Jason's pick of a project he is super bullish on =======================

On this episode of the Welcome to the Metaverse podcast, I chat to Nick Kelland, who is the Marketing and Community Manager of Guild of Guardians. Guild of Guardians is an upcoming mobile RPG blockchain game, which is ready to disrupt the whole gaming industry. Whether you are a gamer or not, this episode is an awesome insight into what is happening in this exploding space from the industry side, what is being built right now and what opportunities are coming in gaming and the wider metaverse. Nick is really really smart when it comes to a) telling us all about what they are building with Guild of Guardians specifically, which sounds epic in it’s own right (and is also a great time to be learning about a game that I think is set to be massive). and b) going deeper as we talk about the disruption that blockchain play-to-earn gaming is bringing to the whole gaming space and how understanding this movement now, is a great position to be in. I know you’re gonna enjoy this episode and get loads of value from it. I genuinely left this episode buzzing for what is to come. ======================= If you are enjoying the podcast so far and would be happy to leave a rating or review on your platform, that would be amazing and really really helps, thank you everyone who has. Do feel free to jump over to the substack too, metaverseluke.substack.com for weekly NFT news and drops that I am watching. As always nothing in this podcast is financial or investment advice, always do your own research.  Enjoy this week's episode! ======================= To join my weekly NFT drops newsletter, head to metaverseluke.substack.com, you can also reach out at metaversepod@gmail.com ======================= Links for Guild of Guardians Website - https://www.guildofguardians.com/ Immutable X Marketplace - https://market.x.immutable.com/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/GuildOfGuardian Discord - discord.com/invite/gog ======================= In this episode we talk about : - The macro picture of how the entire gaming industry is about to be disrupted by blockchain games and the 'play-to-earn' model - Nick's role at Guild of Guardians and what they are building - A broad intro into the game itself - What audience Guild of Guardians is targeting and why they chose the mobile market - What is the visual feel of the game and the game mechanics - Why Guild of Guardians is going to cut through other blockchain games coming to market - Nick's ethos for choosing gaming projects to support / invest in (at your own risk, dyor) - The incredible team at Guild of Guardians including Derek Lau (Game Lead) and Josiah Wallace (Lead Game Designer) [previously Temple Run! - what a game!] - What NFTs and assets have been released so far for GOG and what is still to come - opportunities to invest early in the project - How gaming can change how we think about the the workforce in the future. =======================

On this episode of the Welcome to the Metaverse podcast, I chat to the awesome Karsen Daily who is the Chief Experience Officer at 888 The New World. For anyone who isn't aware, 888 is an anonymous but extremely well loved and well respected collector and curator in the NFT space. 888 has one of the most extensive collections of rare digital artworks and is also a huge supporter of upcoming artists and a positive voice for the entire NFT space. They are also in the process of launching 888 The New World, an entirely new platform that is founded and built by artists and is set to be epic. In this episode we chat to Karsen about her story so far, including her many previous roles at Superplastic (the world's top creator of animated celebs, vinyl toys & digital collectibles), her role and vision at 888 The New World, the future of the metaverse and her own upcoming NFT project dropping soon! ======================= This episode is sponsored by Republic Realm, who are a metaverse investment and innovation platform. Republic Realm are also one of the largest owners of digital real estate NFTs in Decentraland, The Sandbox and Axie Infinity. They have just dropped their Fantasy Collection NFTs - luxury speedboats designed for use in The Sandbox, owners of which are also eligible to join Fantasy Marina, the social hub for all Fantasy Collection owners. They have also recently launched their own new substack here - https://realmroundup.substack.com/ To find out more about what they do, head to https://www.republicrealm.com and follow them on twitter here : https://www.twitter.com/joinrepublic_RE and Discord : discord.gg/ntSaG8b9sW ======================= To join my weekly NFT drops newsletter, head to metaverseluke.substack.com, you can also reach out at metaversepod@gmail.com ======================= Links for Karsen Daily and 888 The New World Karsen Daily Twitter - head to https://www.twitter.com/KarsenDaily and karsendaily.com For 888 The New World : https://888tnw.com/ and on Twitter : https://twitter.com/888TNW For 888 - https://twitter.com/crypto888crypto ======================= In this episode we talk about : - Karsen's story up until now and her various roles at Superplastic, executive producing and managing the lives of virtual celebrities Janky and Guggimon (https://superplastic.co/) - Identity and virtual celebrities in the metaverse - Karsen's role at 888TNW and how she thinks about art and storytelling - An explanation on what 888 The New World is and the goals for the project - The mechanics of 888 The New World in more detail and how the ecosystem supports both established and upcoming talent - How gaming is embedded into the platform and their partnership with Gala Games and The Global Esports Federation - The 888 Inner Circle Token and how this is a separate project completely with its own benefits - Karsen's own NFT project (announcement very soon!) with Chad Knight and Parrott (links below) - Her pug Pearl - Shoutouts to awesome people in the space ======================= Additional people mentioned in this show Chad Knight - https://twitter.com/ChadKnight Parrott - https://twitter.com/itsparrott Dave Krugman - https://twitter.com/dave_krugman Kid Eight - https://twitter.com/_KidEight The CryptoBabyPunks - https://opensea.io/collection/thecryptobabypunks Directive Creator - https://twitter.com/Escapation Metaverse Meg - https://twitter.com/metaversemeg Yungwknd - https://twitter.com/yungwknd Goku - https://twitter.com/goku_nft Spreadsheets  Eyelids - https://twitter.com/eyelidsnft

On this episode of the Welcome to the Metaverse podcast, I chat to Ishan Negi who is the NFT & Gaming Lead at Polygon. Ishan was the perfect guest to have on to explain the new blockchain gaming landscape, what is coming and the huge opportunities that await. Polygon is dominating the space as a layer 2 scaling solution, home to some of the best blockchain games and virtual worlds currently available. An exciting time to be witnessing this gaming and digital asset revolution and an episode packed full of value. ======================= This episode is sponsored by Republic Realm, who are a metaverse investment and innovation platform. We recently had them on the show and it was one of my favourite episodes, so I'm really happy to now be working together to bring you some of the brightest minds behind new metaverse platforms. Thank you for your continued support! Republic Realm are also one of the largest owners of digital real estate NFTs in Decentraland, The Sandbox and Axie Infinity. To find out more about what they do, head to https://www.republicrealm.com and follow them on twitter here : https://www.twitter.com/joinrepublic_RE and Discord : discord.gg/ntSaG8b9sW ======================= To join my weekly NFT drops newsletter, head to metaverseluke.substack.com, you can also reach out at metaversepod@gmail.com ======================= Links for Polygon To find out more the projects building on Polygon and Polygon Studios - head to https://awesomepolygon.com/ Polygon Twitter : https://twitter.com/0xPolygon and Polygon Studios : https://twitter.com/_PolygonStudios ======================= In this episode we talk about : - Ishan's road to crypto and his role as NFT & Gaming Lead at Polygon - What Polygon is as a layer 2 solution and why it is perfect for the adoption of blockchain games and NFTs - How the play-to-earn blockchain gaming model is sustainable - What the next 6 - 12 months might look like for the blockchain gaming space - 3 games that Ishan loves on Polygon - Passive income gaming models, staking and Decentral Games - The Sandbox migrating to Polygon and the future of virtual worlds and blockchain gaming - How close we are to mainstream adoption - major gaming industry talent moving to the blockchain gaming space - How legacy sport and fashion brands are also building on Polygon - The next wave in the space - social tokens and how they change the creator model - Ways to support and benefit from this explosion in value of the space ======================= Games mentioned in this show Skyweaver - https://www.skyweaver.net/ Decentral Games - https://decentral.games/ Zed Run - https://zed.run/ Aavegotchi - https://aavegotchi.com/ Coinvise - https://www.coinvise.co/

In this episode of the Welcome to the Metaverse podcast, we take a look at the major players in the virtual world arena (aka the metaverse) and what they have been up to in 2021. The current focus is on the booming NFT space but it's never a bad idea to be a few steps ahead. Where are the opportunities in the metaverse inside the virtual worlds and how can you best position yourself to benefit? ======================= As always, thank you so much for your messages and reviews, they really help and support the show so I really appreciate it. Do reach out and say hello at https://www.twitter.com/MetaverseLuke and check out the regular NFT newsletter of the latest drops I'm watching at metaverseluke.substack.com As always nothing in this episode is financial or investment advice, always do your own research ======================= In this episode we talk about what the following virtual worlds are up to : Roblox - https://www.roblox.com/ Fortnite - https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/en-US/home Facebook Horizon - https://www.oculus.com/facebook-horizon/ VR Chat - https://hello.vrchat.com/ Decentraland - https://decentraland.org/ Cryptovoxels - https://www.cryptovoxels.com/ The Sandbox - https://www.sandbox.game/en/ Somnium Space - https://www.somniumspace.com/ Victoria VR - https://victoriavr.com/ Star Atlas - https://staratlas.com/ (Upland - https://www.upland.me/)

On this episode of the Welcome to the Metaverse podcast, myself and awesome digital artist Sean Elliott OC piece together the clues so far relating to RTFKT Studios' upcoming AKIRA avatar NFT project. RTFKT Studios have quickly established themselves as one of the most credible and innovative brands in the space, setting the tone and culture for digital fashion in the metaverse. The three co-founders (Benoit, Steven and Chris) have deep roots in gaming, streetwear and sneaker culture and are super credible, long term thinkers. If their work and releases to date are anything to go by, AKIRA looks set to completely change the game once again.  ======================= To be clear neither myself or Sean are affiliated with RTFKT Studios, we both are just supporters of the work they have done so far. This project could well become the next major success in the space and in this episode we dive deep into what we know so far ahead of the drop. I'd also like to give a massive shout out to Luksolukson - who you should definitely follow on twitter here : https://twitter.com/Luksolukson - he constantly writes great posts about RTFKT Studios and has a brilliant article on the project so far - https://medium.com/@luksolukson/rtfkt-avatar-project-b4781377866d - much of which we reference in this episode, so a big shout and credit to him also. ======================= As always, you can reach out to say hello at metaversepod@gmail.com  I also do a weekly newsletter on upcoming NFT drops at metaverseluke.substack.com Nothing in this podcast is financial or investment advice, always do your own research. ======================= In this episode, we talk about  - Sean Elliott OC's introduction and the ace work he's doing at the moment - The story of RTFKT Studios so far, when and how it began - The backstories of the 3 co-founders, Benoit Pagotto, Steven Vasilev and Chris Le - their roots in gaming, fashion culture and their fascinating stories so far - Some of RTFKT's current drops to date and how they are constantly breaking the mould with interesting and unique collabs - When we first heard about AKIRA and saw early renders of the project - What we know about the project so far, supply, rough drop dates, pre and public sale and how to participate - Estimated minting price for the project - Who the big name artist they've teamed up with might be and what that means for the NFT and contemporary art space - How AKIRA is likely to change the game from anything we've seen so far - What the avatars will enable - RTFKT lifetime benefits and more - The historical anime links to the project - Some of our own thinking and speculation of where the project might go