Niantic, the creator of the famous augmented reality (AR) game Pokemon Go, has partnered with payments firm Fold to launch an AR experience in which players can win Bitcoin in a virtual world that the company refers to as a “real world metaverse.” The experience will be available in the coming weeks.
Currently in beta, the function is accessible to Fold App users who like to participate in it. By investigating their real surroundings, they will be able to earn Bitcoin and in-app perks. Invigorated by Coatue’s most recent $300 million investment in the firm, Niantic is trying to broaden its gaming experience.
Founder and CEO Will Reeves of Fold remarked, “This is the quickest and most enjoyable method to get your maiden Bitcoin. With our [Fold] software, anybody can use their smartphone to collect Bitcoin and other prizes just by exploring the world surrounding them. It has always been crucial to us to make participation in the Bitcoin economy as simple as possible for everyone, regardless of educational background or technological skill.”
Instead of discovering and collecting rare species in the real world, Fold users will be able to discover and collect Bitcoin and other rewards in the virtual world, due in part to Niantic’s augmented reality platform technology. It is possible to get new reward blocks every 10 minutes, which are dropped in the neighborhood of a player.
Once a block has been claimed, the user receives Satoshis, which are a kind of cryptocurrency, in addition to other in-app benefits. There is an element of chance involved here, though, since you might lose your Bitcoin gains if, for example, you stumble across a ‘poison pill’ while searching for Bitcoin. Those interested in participating in the feature do not need to possess a Fold card in order to participate, however cards will get extra bonuses and rewards.
Customers will also be able to conceal and sell Bitcoin after the game has been completely launched to the public. The Pokémon Go developer’s concept for the metaverse is significantly different from the one being promoted by Facebook as Meta, which intends to link people via virtual reality (VR).
Niantic’s creator and CEO, John Hanke, wrote a blog post earlier this year in which he said that this strategy, which depends on virtual reality and was popularized by the movie Ready Player One, is a “dystopian nightmare.”
Creating a “ever-evolving AR map of the world” is central to Niantic’s mission, according to Hanke, who said that the goal is to “make the actual world come alive with knowledge and engagement.” This latest round of financing from Coatue will go toward developing the Lightship ARDK, Niantic’s augmented reality technology that the company began licensing to other programmers earlier in November.
