The Terra ecosystem has experienced substantial growth in 2021, with December, in particular, being a fruitful month. While the crypto market suffered greatly in December owing to several reasons, the Terra ecosystem and LUNA and UST, in particular, grew from strength to strength.

With over $18 billion in total value locked (TVL), Terra is the second-largest decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem behind only Ethereum – this is a testament to the project's core values and applications. It is no wonder that I'm optimistic about Lunaverse, a metaverse built on the Terra blockchain. 

## What is Lunaverse?

Powered by Terra, Cesium and Aerometrex 3D models, Lunaverse is a digital world built on the Terra ecosystem. The Lunaverse economy starts with Lunaverse 1.0, which is based in San Francisco. 

The project is currently heading into the initial DEX offering (IDO) stage. At Lunaverse, you can own, develop, rent and sell buildings as NFTs. Building owners can determine whether they want to generate a solid annual percentage yield (APY) or sell/rent building levels. 

For example, if you own a building with 50 levels, you can receive an APY for the NFT building as a whole or derive an additional 50 NFTs by selling/renting out building-level NFTs. 

Jaw-dropping Aerometrex 3D imagery guarantees a visually appealing experience. NFT buildings will be released in stages and factors like traffic and location will increase the future demand for positioning of key gameplay locations, rewards, virtual business and advertising. 
  
A range of cities are on the cards for Lunaverse and gameplay may include secret scouting missions, special mining activities and travel adventures.

For more Metaverse news, see [here](/news/category/metaverse-news).


Lunaverse – Next Great Crypto Metaverse Project?

If 2020 was a breakthrough year for decentralised finance (DeFi), 2021 established DeFi as the hottest sphere in the crypto space. Yes, non-fungible tokens [(NFTs)](/news/category/nft-news/) and metaverse & gaming tokens have a charm of their own but DeFi is the only hero of this story. 

To put it into perspective, at the start of last year, DeFi protocols had a total-value locked (TVL) of $18.71 billion – this grew to an astonishing $250 billion by the end of the year and currently stands at $235.81 billion. The essence of technology is evolution and this year, we will see DeFi take the next step in its unprecedented rise.

Instrumental Finance is DeFi’s solution to a cross-layer, cross-chain future.

## The future of DeFi is in the hands of Instrumental Finance

Incubated by Composable Labs, [Instrumental Finance will correct a fundamental flaw](https://www.instrumental.finance/) in the DeFi industry – siloing due to a lack of interoperability between layer 2 ecosystems and the applications that use them. Yield farmers look for the best opportunities to maximize returns on provided liquidity. 

At the moment, a lack of interoperability between layer 2 protocols translates to several inefficiencies, including high costs and complexities. A cross-layer, cross-chain solution could help liquidity providers (LPs) tap into the potential for yield across different layers and chains. 

## How it works

Instrumental Finance provides a chain- and layer-agnostic solution for LPs that are looking to maximize returns on the liquidity they provide on various layer one and layer two protocols. The protocol streamlines the process of liquidity provision and yield generation. All you have to do is deposit funds into the Instrumental Vault.

Your funds will be deposited into the highest yield-generating pool available, irrespective of the layer or protocol it is on. It is as simple as that. If we dive into more detail, the protocol leverages Composable Finance’s cross-layer asset swapping tool, the Mosaic Bridge. 

The Mosaic Bridge integrates several chains and layer two solutions to provide users the flexibility to freely transfer assets and maximize returns on their liquidity. STRM, Instrumental Finance’s native token, powers the platform. 

## Staking

Currently, you can participate in the staking program. If you stake ETH-STRM LP tokens for a locking period of 3 months, you will receive an annual percentage yield (APY) of 217.53%. Over $1.13 million has been locked already – you are definitely not late!

If you partook in the Instrumental Liquidity Rush Program (ended on Dec. 31), you can lock your STRM rewards to receive veSTRM tokens and revenue share.

Instrumental Finance: the next DeFi generation

Since Mark Zuckerberg moved to rebrand Facebook, and everything under his company’s control, into a new entity called “Meta,” much of the mainstream public was introduced to the term _metaverse_. But what is the metaverse?

Quite simply, a metaverse is a _virtual_ world.  It’s an online environment where people adopt the form of avatars to play games, build things, or just socialise.  The important takeaway is there is not _just one_ metaverse like there _is one_ Internet.  Facebook is only one of _many_ companies planning to offer users the ultimate “virtual world” in hopes of enticing them to bring their digital avatars and come live in _their_ world.

While the mainstream public decides whether the metaverse is something they need to take seriously, a large segment of the cryptocurrency investment community already has. 

The real value of blockchain technology is becoming more evident as cryptocurrencies play an increasingly more prominent role in the metaverse, serving as the medium used for the transactions that occur in these virtual worlds.  Metaverses that use cryptocurrencies such as Decentraland and The Sandbox have gone gangbusters lately in terms of popularity.

## Virtual Real Estate

There is even an emerging _virtual_ real estate market, and people are beginning to snatch up virtual plots of digital land in these electronic environments for substantial amounts of money.  One plot of land sold for a jaw-dropping $2.4 million on Decentraland’s platform.  Every kind of social activity from virtual performances to browsing shopping malls will have a presence in the metaverse.  As more and more people begin “living” in these virtual worlds it is anticipated that digital property owners may even begin to work with recognisable brands that want to build up a presence in the metaverse.

While traditionalists and curmudgeons still think investing in the metaverse is janky at best, the health-care industry is already adopting the same technologies, like virtual reality and artificial intelligence, to power their medical devices.  In other words, this technology is proving to be applicable to more than just gaming.

In the last analysis, there are some very influential people who are driving the adoption of the metaverse by suggesting they _truly will_ change the world in much the same way the internet did when it began in 1995.  If they prove to be right, the following three cryptocurrencies stand to gain significantly in the months to come:

### Decentraland (MANA)

[Decentraland](https://decentraland.org/):  MANA, the cryptocurrency of Decentraland’s platform, reached an insane market cap of over $10 billion in November but has cooled a bit in the last few days, along with the rest of the market, settling at a market cap of just over $6 billion.  MANA is considered _the_ digital coin to watch as the metaverse wars heat up.

### Sandbox (SAND)

[The Sandbox](https://www.sandbox.game/en/): In this writer’s opinion, the cryptocurrency SAND is in the strongest position to benefit from mainstream adoption of the metaverse.  It is the cryptocurrency of the “The Sandbox,” a hugely popular platform gaining more users by the day.  Though falling more than 25% in the last seven days, SAND skyrocketed more than 300% in the month of November alone.

### Axie Infinity (AXS)

[Axie Infinity](https://axieinfinity.com/): The blockchain name of the very popular online crypto game that lets users play to collect in-game (AXS) currencies.  The AXS market cap is currently just over $6 billion but reached a high of nearly $10 billion last month.  Pundits suggest that AXS could double in the near term if mainstream adoption of the metaverse continues.

Bitcoin is still the largest cryptocurrency by market value, though its dominance has steadily declined as other cryptocurrencies draw the attention of investment communities.  Bitcoin now accounts for around 40% of total market value, down from 70% in January 2021.

The Popularity of Metaverse Crypto Continues to Grow

What an incredible year for the value of altcoins and lesser known digital assets. It would seem that all that is needed for them to go from complete obscurity to front page news is the connection to the right meme or to benefit from a well-timed tweet from some quirky and eccentric billionaire.

A cryptocurrency called Omicron is currently enjoying such notoriety, if only momentarily.

## Beast Mode

While treading water for much of the past week, the popularity of Omicron went into full ‘beast’ mode once the media announced a coronavirus variant that had been discovered in southern Africa and was given the same name as the coin.

From what we can determine, Omicron was launched on or around November 8th but already it’s identifiable by much of the mainstream public. The coin shot up 10 times in value from last week Friday till Monday as the news of the virus permeated all the major news outlets.

‘Experts’ said the rapid rise in popularity was likely attributable to the fact that both the new coronavirus variant and the coin share the same name. Good guess.

### There are other coins, once relatively obscure, that have quickly risen in popularity as well:

**SAND** – A digital asset that’s being mega-hyped by metaverse enthusiasts. SAND are tokens that can be traded or earned upon completion of certain adventures within the popular virtual gaming world called [Sandbox](https://www.sandbox.game/en/). The digital coins recently traded at around $7 and have enjoyed an eye-popping 80%+ increase in value in the past week alone.

The metaverse, which is a combination of multiple technologies, including virtual reality and augmented reality where users can hypothetically ‘live’ within the technical platform, is gaining attention from some very big, highly recognisable companies that are considered industry leaders. According to a recent statement from one such company, Adidas, they are keenly focused on how the metaverse develops saying that it is ‘…currently one of the most exciting developments in digital, making it an interesting platform for Adidas’.

**MANA** – Another coin that’s riding the Metaverse wave of popularity. The MANA coin is associated with the [_Decentraland_](https://decentraland.org/) Metaverse and rose from $2.81 to $4.67 during the month of November. If metaverse environments pique your curiosity, Decentraland is an interesting story. There were many headlines that mentioned Decentraland last month which has a tendency to happen when a nation like Barbados starts to make remarks that it is taking steps to setup a virtual embassy in Decentraland’s metaverse.

The increase in value of altcoins mentioned above seem to have been initiated by Facebook’s announcement in October that the company would be adopting a new name - Meta, a new mission that hopes to ‘bring the metaverse to life’.

Overall, the cryptocurrency market demonstrated mixed results this week.

As we close out 2021, Bitcoin was projected to reach a year-end value of $100,000, but in terms of reaching that value, the market’s key digital asset would need to stage more than a 75% rally in the next four weeks.

BTC Set to Miss Expectations; Altcoin News

Step aside NFTs, the metaverse and GameFi token craze is real. In what has been a dismal week for major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Cardano, largely due to the signing of the US Infrastructure Bill, the rejection of a US spot Bitcoin ETF, crazy Bitcoin profit bookings, further Chinese crypto sanctions and news of the possibility of crypto being banned in India, many metaverse and gaming tokens have experienced considerable growth.

MANA, SAND and GALA in particular have witnessed substantial growth. Public sentiment is so bullish at the moment that a Decentraland patch of real estate [sold for nearly $2.43 million](https://www.reuters.com/markets/currencies/virtual-real-estate-plot-sells-record-24-million-2021-11-23/) on 23rd November! Following Facebook's rebranding to Meta last month, the world is looking at such projects with keen interest. GALA is a gaming asset worth looking at closely.

## What is GALA and should you buy it?

I am not giving you investment advice but wow, GALA sure is a fascinating investment prospect. In the past year, GALA has surged 200,000+% and reached an all-time high of nearly $0.06 on 25th November. GALA powers the Gala Games ecosystem, an Ethereum-based gaming network.

Gala Games currently offers 2 blockchain-based games and is developing 3 more. The decentralized ecosystem is controlled by its users – all decisions are taken by node holders and players, be it related to the development of a new game or what should be funded by the ecosystem.

Node holders can run nodes (Gala Nodes) via their computer systems and earn rewards such as GALA, limited edition NFTs and much more. You can purchase a Gala Node license for the same. All items that you win in-game are yours and are verifiable assets on the blockchain. GALA represents a long-term investment option, so explore its underlying project at your convenience.



Metaverse tokens and GameFi – a new trend

[Niantic Wayfarer](https://wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/new/), the creators of popular augmented reality game Pokemon Go, is planning to build a metaverse with £300 million funding from cryptocurrency investor, Coatue.

Niantic already has one of the most popular apps on mobile devices, with over 50 million players each month. The developer released an Apple Watch version of the game in its latest update, letting players catch Pokemon with a tap of the wrist.

The developers have promised more updates in the coming months, building on their experience creating Pokemon Go and Ingress - another augmented reality game that asks players to visit real-world locations to unlock special powers within the game.

## Investor Partners With Niantic

Coatue is a well-known crypto and blockchain investor which has previously helped to set up companies such as Fireblocks and MoonPay.

Coatue general partner, Matt Mazzeo told [CoinMarketCap](https://cointelegraph.com/news/valued-at-9b-pokemon-go-creator-to-build-metaverse-with-fresh-funding). “We are excited to partner with Niantic because we see this infrastructure supporting a metaverse for the real world and helping to power the next evolution of the internet."

He added; “Niantic is building a platform for AR based on a 3D map of the world that we believe will play a critical role in the next transition in computing".

Niantic is reportedly hoping to develop a real-world metaverse that will utilise technology to improve humans' experience of the world.

For more Metaverse news, see [here.](/news/category/metaverse-news)

Latest Moni

Metaverse Crypto News | Page 3

Discover metaverse updates and industry news

Lunaverse – Next Great Crypto Metaverse Project?

Instrumental Finance: the next DeFi generation

The Popularity of Metaverse Crypto Continues to Grow

BTC Set to Miss Expectations; Altcoin News

Metaverse tokens and GameFi – a new trend

Niantic Wayfarer to Build Metaverse

Dash or Litecoin? Crypto Comparison

How to Buy Altcoins

BTT Crypto: BitTorrent Token Price