SNEAK PEEK
- Lamina1 is a Layer-1 blockchain technology designed for the Metaverse with Web3 principles in mind.
- Neal Stephenson will support artists and creators to get appropriately paid for their work.
- Metaverse experience will be focused on 2D screens or displays rather than AR or VR.
Upon coining the term “Metaverse” 30 years ago, Neal Stephenson is now launching a metaverse-focused blockchain project, LAMINA1.
Revising his vision for the metaverse, he mentioned that the experience would be more towards flat 2D screens and not AR or VR technology, as in the model proposed by Meta and Microsoft.
Predicting that much of the metaverse will be for screens, Stephenson posted an official tweet:
The assumption that the Metaverse is primarily an AR/VR thing isn’t crazy. In my book it’s all VR. And I worked for an AR company–one of several that are putting billions of dollars into building headsets. But…
— Neal Stephenson (@nealstephenson) June 8, 2022
Stephenson explored the concept of a virtual reality world, metaverse, in his sci-fi novel Snow Crash in 1992.
Based on an announcement from OG crypto investor and former Bitcoin Foundation chairman Peter Vessenes, he and Stephenson have co-founded LAMINA1 with the hope of it serving as the base layer for the open metaverse.
Vessenes wrote:
A place to build something a bit closer to Neal’s vision — one that privileges creators, technical and artistic, one that provides support, spatial computing tech, and a community to support those who are building out the Metaverse.
He further added that the network would most likely be carbon negative.
Commenting on the roles of the co-founders’ at LAMINA1, Vessenes said:
Neal brings his vision, wisdom, experience, and some core goals: helping get artists and other value creators paid properly for their work, helping the environment […] and seeing a truly Open Metaverse get built instead of seeing the Metaverse vision co-opted by monopolies.
Talking about his role, Vessenes said that he would focus on getting the blockchain off the ground quickly, working on getting the required governance, technology, node operators, IP partners, artists, business partners, and funds up and running.
