Maybe you have heard of it already, and maybe the hype wave has not yet reached you. However, Earth 2 is currently going viral on all social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Youtube, and Reddit).

Earth 2 is a 1:1 virtual version of our earth. This virtual earth is split into 5.1 trillion land tiles (10m X 10m), classified into three classes.

You can own a virtual land on Earth 2 exactly as you can own a real land on our earth. And if you can own land, you can also buy land from other users and sell your land to other users. The developers announced that shortly each land could be deeply customizable as well. According to the developer:

The vision of Earth 2 is to create a global digital representation of our earth, a place where people can build, abide, trade, live, experience, interact and so much more. The vision is long term and monumental and we feel the introduction of Earth 2 represents the birth of the world’s virtual timeline.

Currently, users can sign in to the platform to buy, sell, or trade land. Tiles vary in prices depending on their location. A tile in Wisoncon, USA costs today $37, and a tile in Hamburg, Germany is at $7. Tiles in other parts of the world are as low as $0.10.

According to its developers, Earth 2 is a video game that will use the power of AR/VR to allow players to roam freely around the virtual planet (similar to Ready Player One).

When you log into Earth 2, you will be able to roam around the world’s map and see the different tiles. If the tile is already owned by someone else, the tile will either be colored red or its owner’s flag. If you find free tiles, you can click on them to see their current price.

If you have tiles in a popular area on Earth 2, these tiles' prices will increase. You can either hold to your tiles or sell them for a profit.

The figure above shows the current prices for tiles in some countries and their price increase since release.

Since you can buy and then sell land virtually for profit, Earth 2 has gone viral. People are comparing it to cryptocurrencies. Imagine if you bought 100 tiles at $0.26 per tile, and two weeks later, you sold those for $37.77 each. That is $3,751 profit from an initial investment of $26 — no wonder people are flocking into Earth 2 at the moment.

That’s not all. The developers claim that in the next phase, we will be able to mine resources, rent properties, earn income taxes, or even earn cash from advertisements on your land.

This pushed users to focus on:

• lands Including monuments, tourist attractions, or skyscrapers,
• lands Including gold mines and other natural resources, and
• Islands, among others.

Just look at Central Park, New York City, in the picture below.

Why is Earth 2 hyped at the moment?

There are multiple reasons for this hype. The most significant ones are:

• People who missed on Bitcoins don’t want to miss a possible opportunity here.
• The developers plan to use Earth 2 as a VR video game, which is pretty awesome.
• The land prices on Earth 2 are lower than the real-life prices.
• It is pretty cool to own Disney land, the Pyramids, a private island, or any other interesting location virtually — it doesn't cost much.
• There is a chance to make money out of it.
• The number of tiles is limited, which might cause a huge spike in the prices when most tiles are already purchased.
• It is kind of addictive to roam around the map to search for free tiles in significant locations to purchase — mount Everest, for example.

The current state of Earth 2

Earth 2 is a game; that’s it. It is not a cryptocurrency, nor does it promote itself to be one.

As I mentioned before, the map on Earth 2 has 5.1 trillion tiles. Assuming that all tiles are sold initially for $0.1, the total revenue would be five hundred and ten billion dollars — I can’t even write this number down.

Currently, Earth 2 is just some tiles on a map that you can buy. The developers did mention that they have plans for it. But at the current stage, it is a trading platform game based on those 10m X 10m tiles and their value.

Earth 2 has been live for a couple of months only. We are still at a very early stage of phase 1. In the upcoming phase 2, it is assumed that we will get resources and mining features. In phase 2, and depending on your tiles' location, you might be able to generate the in-game currency. And nobody knows what phase 3 will bring with it. People imagine that VR will come to Earth 2 in phase 3 — the development and future plans are unknown.

Tiles in every country are classified into four classes. Class 1 are the first tiles to be sold in a country and are the tiles with the highest tax returns. After that comes tiles class 2 with a lower tax return and then class 3. Class 4 ar the remaining tiles with no tax returns.

Some investors, or players, have walked out already with significant gains of thousands of dollars. Earth 2 might gain further popularity, or it might flop. Only the future can tell where the little tiles will be heading.

Disclaimer: I’m not connected to the developers of Earth 2 in any way. I just invested a small amount into the game to try it out. It is not a rock-solid investment, and this story is not a promotion in any way or shape. This story is for entertainment purposes only to explain to you (the reader) one of the newest hypes on the internet. If you want to try Earth 2 for yourself, please do your due diligence thoroughly.