Qwick Takes: Is the metaverse the next huge investment opportunity?

This week, Talking Biz News Deputy Editor Erica Thompson reached out to Qwoted’s community of experts to inquire about the investment potential of the metaverse. Check out some of the top commentary:

There are many affirmative answers to this question. For those interested in people the consideration is: if Mark Zuckerberg thinks so and is prepared to junk one of the most valuable brands on earth to change his branding to ‘Meta’ then who can argue it isn’t a massive investment opportunity. Just holding Meta Platforms stock is part of a huge investment.
For those interested in news, the metaverse is popping up like a weed in the crypto space, an investment arena that has added $2tr of value in the last year or so. It is one of the next big things so in effect it is already synonymous with ‘huge investment opportunity.’
For those interested in ideas – the underlying drivers of progress – the Metaverse has been the next big thing for nearly a generation. Since Tron, The Lawnmower Man, The Matrix and Ready Player One, the metaverse has been prequelled as a revolutionary technology due to change the world forever. Taking the mind into new realities where value can be virtual unlocks whole horizons of monetisation. In a world where the computer games industry is bigger than Hollywood, the metaverse takes even that once genre of computing to the next level.
Revolutions are always huge investment opportunities and here is a new revolution.

Alexander Voigt, CEO & Founder of daytradingz.com:

A stock price is primarily determined by the vision that a company represents. Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) has always been good at successfully entering new business areas. The change of the company name from Facebook to Meta Platforms expresses very clearly that this is not just a project idea but rather the actual vision of the company – creating a Meta Verse and making money as an industry leader.
In addition to the potential that the new strategy brings, Mata Platforms is already doing very well. A market cap of nearly 1B, +24.79% gain YTD, a P/E-ratio of 24.37, and an earnings beat in Q3/2021 make it clear that the company makes the right decisions.
Now, Meta Platform is priming investors for a new company that could look entirely different than the advertising-based business of today. There are certainly risks involved, but throughout its history, Facebook has always clearly shown that it can go forward stronger than before.

Clark Boyd, Head of Strategy at Cadeera:

I am fascinated by the new business models that could arise from this technology. The physical world is governed by restraints that simply do not exist in the virtual world. As companies use this technology, they will push the frontiers of what is possible.
We are already hearing from retailers that they want to explore the potential of the metaverse, starting with Virtual Reality but also Augmented Reality and smart glasses.
At Cadeera, we are looking for ways to bridge the gap between consumers and inspirational new ideas. We increasingly see that consumers want a more visual, immersive ecommerce experience and that trend line leads logically towards socializing and shopping in the virtual world.
The smart investments now lie in the infrastructure for the metaverse. That means companies like Nvidia, of course, but retailers should also lay the foundation for their own metaverse strategy. That means working on data tagging and virtual assets that can be served to customers in the digital world.

Daniel Logvin, blockchain, AI and cybersecurity specialist:

Meta’s new project has turned the head of a lot of investors because of several strong reasons, and the hype is not the only one. A factor here is the potential in revolutionizing the way we use technology.
Let us keep in mind that Meta is not the only “tech-giant” in this race since Microsoft is also working on its metaverse project. So, we can expect a change, and this might indeed be the next step for humanity by revolutionizing the way we connect.
If Meta successfully launches the platform, we could be getting rid of our smartphones sooner than we think. Investing in Meta seems like a good idea because of the number of people that would migrate to their new project. Meta currently counts with 2.89 billion monthly active users on Facebook, and we can expect the majority of them to buy their new glasses to enjoy a whole different experience.
The fun does not stop here because users are for sure going to find a way to perform transactions through the platform, and one of them might be related to NFT’s. Merging the metaverse with blockchain technology will definitely happen, and NFT’s are indisputable since Meta also has shown “art” in some of its trailers and people are already starting talks regarding their potential.

Steven Walters, CEO at Gallant Token:

As the CEO of Gallant Token (www.gallantoken.com), a gaming company, and community, I hear and see what people want and long for on a daily basis, and the metaverse can provide that and so much more. Investing into the metaverse and its infrastructure now will pay off handsomely in the long run. Why, because it is still very early. Market research shows that leading industries are migrating into this space now, in preparation for what is to come. Think back to the internet, which was developed in the ’60s, made public in the ’80s, and mainstream traction began in the 90s. Today, the internet encompasses everything we do and rely on. The origin behind the metaverse was conceived in 1992, and as of just a couple of years ago, the foundation has only recently begun to be laid. The metaverse will be the sole way of the future for corporate meetings, shopping, gaming, social engagements/events, training, advertising, and so on.

Irina Slav