Last year, social media entered a whole new dimension, with businesses and consumers alike interested in the idea of ​​the “metaverse” and the technology that powers it.

The word “meta” is now popping up pretty much everywhere: on social media, in the news, and in articles describing “overnight millionaires” who have succeeded in taking a piece of the meta pie.

And now TOKAU, a Japan-based blockchain company, is launching its own metaverse project called MetaCity, the first platform to target celebrities and their fans.

For the uninitiated, the term “metaverse” refers to a 3D virtual universe that users from around the world can enter and interact with in real time. The space is created using a permanent record-keeping system called blockchain technology, and the data that is stored within the blockchain is called a non-fungible token, or NFT.

Building on the principles of openness and decentralization that are central to Web 3.0, major corporations are incorporating NFTs into their business routine, while regular consumers are beginning to use them in their everyday lives. NFTs are already used as artwork, event tickets, software licenses, fan club memberships, etc.

Within TOKAU’s MetaCity, which maps a metaverse world in 3D, fans are not simply consumers; instead, they form one of the nodes in an intricate global “SocialFi” (or “social-to-earn”) ecosystem where they can earn crypto tokens (a form of tradable cryptocurrency) as they explore and play.

“There has been a change in the social structure of society in recent years, and now people want more access to the world around them,” says Nao Saito, MetaCity’s business development manager. “In MetaCity, we will offer our users just that: the ability to travel through time and space through virtual reality.”

Users begin their journey through MetaCity by purchasing a mystery box, which contains an editable NFT “land” on the platform. Homeowners can customize their own virtual spaces by adding new items and changing layouts just like in the real world. If a user wishes to relocate, they can exchange their land with other users within the MetaCity MarketPlace.

What is the key difference between buying a house in IRL and buying a house in MetaCity? In the virtual world of TOKAU, users can pay a premium to be neighbors with celebrities who have signed up to create their own Lands.

MetaCity is collaborating with notable names in a wide range of industries, from hip-hop to fashion, and all will be located within special themed areas of the metaverse. No matter what area users are in, they can interact with all of MetaCity’s celebrities through text, audio, and soon VR.

Unlike the real world, each celebrity in MetaCity can have as many neighbors as the number of NFTs issued by Land, although all MetaCity owners can attend when celebrities show up to host public events. Celebrities can also choose to host private events for select residents.

For example, users will have the opportunity to sip a mimosa and get a pedicure with fashion influencer Olivia Palermo, or go into the studio with hip-hop producer Russell Simmons and hear what he’s working on before anyone else.

And it’s not just real-life celebrities who flock to the platform.

“In MetaCity, users enter a whole new world where they can interact with iconic characters in a way that has never been possible before,” says Jodee Miller, MetaCity COO.

TOKAU’s metaverse offers its users the opportunity to live alongside 3D avatars of characters from their favorite franchises, such as the Hong Kong action series “Young and Dangerous.”

An unprecedented level of access for fans is not the only way TOKAU is democratizing its platform and embracing Web 3.0. The company has plans to hand over the management and decision-making processes related to MetaCity to “DAOs,” or decentralized autonomous organizations formed by its users, so that no single entity has complete control. The “smart contract” used in the DAO will establish the fundamental rules that will allow the actions of any user to be publicly audited.

“We envision a future where MetaCity is open source and powered by a diverse community of users from around the world,” adds David Lin, product manager for MetaCity. “We hope you will join us and create your own land.”

To learn more about MetaCity and how to join the platform, visit metacity.tokau.io.