Why ZTX is Making Land Free for All
A deep dive into why land will be free in ZTX
What do you think of when you hear the word “metaverse”?
For many people, the concept of digital, three-dimensional land comes to mind. In many metaverse projects that have launched so far, digital land tends to be scarce and its boundaries are pre-defined by a finite map.
But what if land wasn’t scarce or finite? What if it was free, unlimited, and accessible to all?
ZTX (ZepetoX) aspires to deliver a metaverse experience that not only entertains but also empowers users. This is in line with our vision to build a metaverse for all — and to do so, we felt compelled to deviate from the conventions of virtual real estate that limit the accessibility of digital land.
But what exactly is the significance of land in the metaverse?
Land in the metaverse presents exciting opportunities. It unlocks utility by enabling users to own an asset that generates creative or economic opportunities while providing a venue for social interactions or different types of gameplay. Among the features of owning, playing, creating, and transacting land, the ability to own land has been key thus far as retail and institutional investors alike have raced to own diverse types of virtual real estate in an attempt to build a web3 presence.
However, such races for land ownership have, to date, been largely dependent on the fact that digital land is a speculative asset based on scarcity and proximity.
We believe this runs counter to the fundamental value proposition that the metaverse offers — freedom from the restraints of the physical world. Even in the physical world, developers have always sought to bypass the limits posed by finite surface areas by creating the concrete jungles of high-rise buildings.
Why, then, should we be confined by the laws of physics in a virtual world?
Add to this the concept of a user’s land functioning as a means of self-expression — buildings or ornaments furnishing a land plot and the types of interactive behavior fostered in that particular plot are all statements about the land owner, in much the same way one’s Instagram account and its feed or profile page is reflective of that user’s preferences — and the argument for maximizing the number of digital land gains further weight.
Given this stance we have on digital land, we felt it would be beneficial to further elaborate on reasons why we feel scarce, finite land in the metaverse is less than ideal, from both a user and a world-building perspective.
The User
When it comes to owning and utilizing land in today’s leading metaverse projects, the barriers to entry for the average person are high. As a result, a core pillar of what makes the metaverse unique is inaccessible to many.
This is largely the result of land being:
- Expensive to own — with price tags for an individual parcel of land reaching 5 to 6 figures in bull markets
- Challenging to develop — as virtual developer tools are limited and their configurations not completely straightforward for various demographics
While owning land isn’t a prerequisite for entering most metaverse projects, it does make up the majority, if not all, of the explorable spaces in these worlds. This means that the average user who may not have the financial resources will often get stuck as a traveler between worlds, with limited ability to enjoy or contribute to the metaverse or call it home.
From a user perspective, this is not very empowering and akin to Instagram users having to pay in order to have their own profile page.
The World
Exploring what each metaverse has to offer is an appealing aspect of digital worlds. Users can move between plots of land, soak in the aesthetics and participate in the available experiences. By providing social interactions, games, shopping, and more, the metaverse can offer a rich fabric of experiences online. Unfortunately, however, users are often greeted with underdeveloped ghost towns.
But how does digital land as we know it today cause this?
It boils down to:
- Decentralization
- Gap between stakeholders and average users
One of the beautiful features of the web3 metaverse is the fact that its development is decentralized. The owners of land get to decide what they want to create and how. In a perfect world, this would result in a plethora of aesthetic and experiential diversity.
The caveat? Those owning land actually need to contribute to the development of the world.
As mentioned above, land has mainly been targeted to investors and companies. While some firms have set up shops and offices, many investors and companies focus their efforts on flipping real estate or hodling for the future — neither of which improves the world experience.
Conversely, the average user, who we assume has more willingness and time to dedicate to gameplay, is limited.
To add to this, many of the leading metaverse projects have two similar characteristics: 1) a pre-defined map and 2) an initial sale for most if not all of the available land.
While this may add to the immutability aspects of the world and lure in more real estate investors, it can have negative impacts on the actual world experience. Instead of growing organically, where supply (land) is matched to demand (users and development), some metaverse projects start off too big, too soon and the result is a bunch of vacant lands.
This is why we’ve decided to do things differently.
We’re excited to share that land in ZTX will be:
- FREE
- Accessible to ALL
- Easy to develop, create and use
And it won’t be:
- Finite
- Bound to geographical limitations.
We are building with mass adoption in mind, creating a world where an average user can become a part of a thriving community and call it their home.
In our next post, we will aim to cover in more detail what land means in ZTX. We will introduce concepts such as Homes, Districts and Downtowns, and how together with land, these make up the ZTX world paradigm.
We look forward to having you join us on our journey.
Thanks for reading today’s post. We hope you enjoyed our content.
Want to learn more about us?
- Visit our website at ZTX.io to sign up for early Beta access
- Do a deep dive into ZTX by reading our litepaper
- Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates
- Join Discord to become a part of the ZTX community
*Disclaimer: This post has been updated to reflect the latest internal developments.
