Embracing the Next Genesis Trend: An Investment Perspective on the Metaverse

This chapter explores the investment appeal of the metaverse, viewing the concept through the prism of ‘genesis trends’. A genesis trend occurs when the growth of a market or technology becomes sufficient to trigger a transformative shift—as witnessed, for example, during the emergence and spread of the internet and smartphones. The following analysis considers the lessons of previous genesis trends—including the multiplicity of architects, enablers and impacts, the perils of inadequate regulation and the threat of an oligopoly—and explains the role of investors and other stakeholders in ensuring an outcome that shapes the future both dramatically and positively.