Metaverse virtual land projects plummet in value, study shows

A recent study by CoinGecko has revealed that the floor prices of virtual land projects in the metaverse experienced a significant decline between 2022 and 2023.

Conducted between January 2022 and May 2023, the study analyzed the price fluctuations of the top five metaverse lands — Otherdeeds, The Sandbox, Decentraland, Somnium and Voxels.

During the height of the NFT craze, floor prices for metaverse lands reached unprecedented levels. However, the study found that as of May 24, 2023, there had been a drastic decline in the metaverse land market, with floor prices plummeting across various projects.

The study shows that Otherdeeds by Yuga Labs is still the most expensive metaverse land collection, although its current price has fallen to 1.09 ETH from its peak value of 7.50 ETH. Decentraland follows in second place, currently trading at 0.64 ETH, with Somnium Space and The Sandbox at 0.37 ETH and 0.43 ETH, respectively.

The cheapest land can be found in Voxels, priced at 0.16 ETH. The collection contains 7,930 parcels of land, with each possessing distinct characteristics like size and location.

The price of virtual lands in Somnium Space suffered the biggest decline out of all, dropping around 93.9 percent from their peak value. Voxels’ virtual lands are close behind, with prices plunging 93.8 percent.

The price of virtual lands in The Sandbox, Decentraland and Otherdeeds also fell substantially, losing over 85 percent of their peak value, raising questions about the long-term viability and sustainability of the metaverse as a digital economy.

The possibilities of the metaverse

Multiple causing factors

Several factors may have contributed to the decline of virtual land prices. Firstly, the initial hype and speculation surrounding NFTs and metaverse lands led to inflated prices, driven by the fear of missing out or FOMO.

As the market cooled down and investor sentiment shifted, prices fell. The increasing supply of virtual lands from emerging metaverse projects saturated the market, diluting the value of individual projects.

The potential utilization of virtual land purchased in the Web3 space remains uncertain, as some enthusiasts may hold onto it in hopes of its increasing value rather than actively using it.

Some critics argue that virtual land and the metaverse itself are overpriced and resemble get-rich-quick schemes. The notion of virtual land speculation has raised concerns about whether it hinders the metaverse’s true potential.

However, proponents, such as angel investor Tony Sheng, said taxing unused land held by speculators could help address this issue and encourage the productive use of virtual land.

Sheng believes that metaverse creators should not cater only to speculators as it does not lead to long-term value creation. Instead, he advocates for transforming virtual land into productive assets that are actively used, which could enhance their value over time.

The future of virtual land also hinges on the stance of companies regarding cryptocurrencies and NFTs — and there have been notable setbacks. For instance, NFT Worlds, which tried to develop an NFT metaverse integrated with Minecraft using Polygon, faced one when Minecraft announced its prohibition of NFTs on its game servers in July last year.

However, with various companies — including JP Morgan and Gucci — maintaining their presence in the metaverse, it remains to be seen how these virtual assets will hold their value as time passes.

The evolution and widespread adoption of virtual land will likely depend on finding a balance between speculation and productive use, as well as navigating the complex landscape of crypto and NFT policies within the gaming industry.