Meta Connection | ZOOJOO: The arrival of the metaverse is marked when 50% of people's time and income come from the metaverse
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Meta Connection | ZOOJOO: The arrival of the metaverse is marked when 50% of people's time and income come from the metaverse
This year's focus will undoubtedly remain scattered. PFP (profile picture) projects will repeatedly prove their speculative and viral potential, while metaverse real estate projects will see an increased share. Additionally, music-related NFTs may experience a minor surge, though they are unlikely to quickly gain substantial momentum.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsThose deeply involved in the NFT (or digital collectibles) space are surely familiar with the name ZOOJOO.
ZOOJOO is an NFT investor who has designed and led several well-known Chinese collectible NFT projects. At the same time, he holds a Master's degree in Printmaking from the China Academy of Art and serves as the Art Director at Nervina Labs.
Recently, a wave of NFT projects have rebranded themselves as Metaverse projects. In an interview with Yuanyouhui’s “Meta Connection,” ZOOJOO stated that NFTs and the Metaverse are strongly correlated: “I tend to believe that within the Metaverse, there exists an inseparable form of personalized digital asset called NFT.”
“This year, land-based (real estate) projects combining NFT and Metaverse should be a key area for research. Profile picture (PFP) projects will continue to be hyped repeatedly, while their underlying teams are moving toward greater professionalism,” said ZOOJOO.
Moreover, ZOOJOO believes that currently around 100,000 people already possess about 10% Metaverse immersion, and only when 50% of humanity's time and income comes from the Metaverse will it truly arrive.
1. The biggest opportunity this year in NFT-Metaverse convergence lies in virtual real estate
Meta Connection: We’ve noticed an increasingly interesting trend—many NFT projects no longer call themselves NFT projects but instead label themselves as Metaverse projects. As an expert in the NFT field, what do you think about this phenomenon?
ZOOJOO: Let me clarify one truth: indeed, NFTs and the Metaverse (Metaverse) are strongly related. Objectively speaking, my earliest NFT project was named the Acid Metaverse series. It may sound like I'm capitalizing on the concept, but it was originally intended from an artistic perspective to explore how we perceive the Metaverse—it's too late to change the name now.
NFT is a clearly defined, bounded technical term. The Metaverse, however, is a fuzzy, boundary-less concept that is gradually becoming all-encompassing. So when you see a karaoke bar, a park, or a pixel website branding itself as the Metaverse, you can’t help but smile knowingly.
This phenomenon shows that "Metaverse" has become such a hot and trending term that piggybacking on it feels comfortable.
I tend to view NFTs as indivisible, personalized digital assets within the Metaverse.
Meta Connection: In your opinion, where do you see the greatest opportunities for integration between the Metaverse and NFTs? What should we focus on this year?
ZOOJOO: I belong to both the “Metaverse will eventually happen” camp and the “Metaverse pessimist” camp. I believe the Metaverse will come, but not anytime soon. By the time I’m old, I might just witness a decent version of it.
Additionally, I firmly believe that around 100,000 people today already have about 10% Metaverse immersion—meaning most of their income comes from NFTs (excluding those profiting from whitelist flipping), or they primarily earn by providing solutions in virtual worlds, such as architecture or breeding, spending more time there than in physical reality outside of sleep.
Only when 50% of all human time and income originates from the Metaverse can we say that parallel world—the “it”—has truly arrived. Under extremely optimistic scenarios, this might happen in ten years.
This year’s highlights will remain scattered. PFP projects will repeatedly prove their speculative and viral potential, while Metaverse real estate projects will gain increasing prominence. Music NFTs may experience a small surge, though unlikely to immediately form a major force.
If I had to pick one research direction, it should be Metaverse real estate—that is, land-based projects.
Why will PFP projects keep resurfacing? Because the industry is becoming professionalized. Talent, issuers, and release mechanisms are gradually standardizing.
When BAYC launched, the community spirit was cooperative and supportive. Today, projects compete fiercely for attention. If you’re investing in PFP projects this year, success depends on superior artistry and more creative operations—elite teams stand a better chance, while underfunded projects will struggle to break through. From an investment standpoint, I’d advise caution.
Meta Connection: You mentioned that if we must choose a research direction this year, it should be land-based NFTs. Do you have any specific advice regarding these projects?
ZOOJOO: There are already three prominent Metaverse land projects. I believe this number won’t stop at three this year.
These projects have long development cycles. By the time you hear the term, numerous domestic and international initiatives are already germinating. This year, many demos will emerge. From an industry maturity perspective, oversupply will eventually occur, similar to what happened with PFP projects. But imagine: land projects can issue entire planets or plots, with price points often ten or even a hundred times higher than PFPs. The cycle may be longer. Professional teams using Unreal Engine might not show tangible results until next year. Overall, supply in this category will increase this year.
Also, I think these projects differ significantly from GameFi. Land-based projects have stronger real estate characteristics. With a compelling world-building vision, they can support leasing, construction, and long-term value creation—outlasting typical GameFi models.
Meta Connection: When supply increases, how should we assess differentiation? How should investors screen these projects?
ZOOJOO: Honestly, there isn’t much differentiation because available technical paths are limited. This means the primary evaluation criterion becomes the team. I came from the gaming industry, so I pay close attention to whether a team has prior game development experience. For example, having built games before means they won’t fall into common engine-related pitfalls and won’t start from scratch.
2. Music NFTs will only explode when priced lower than CD albums
Meta Connection: I know you're recently bullish on music NFTs. What role will music NFTs play in the Metaverse?
ZOOJOO: I’ve always believed that spaces, buildings, and even music in the Metaverse will be procedurally generated. In early Will Wright games, buildings weren’t manually modeled but algorithmically generated—so too could structured art forms like music follow suit.
In my view, music NFTs can be categorized into three main types:
The first is rights-focused—e.g., discovering Michael Jackson’s early demo and issuing it as an NFT.
The second is derivative-based—e.g., Björk replaces a line of her lyrics with a version specially crafted for Zoojoo as a unique NFT. You mint it and get a personalized “just for you” edition.
The third is seed-based—I believe this holds the most future potential: discovering a set of sounds, organizing chord progressions, enabling multiple combinations across audio tracks.
If other musicians build upon it, the original creator earns royalties. For instance, Aphex Twin could release a full generator based on the sonic palette and motifs of one of his albums. You could partially become him and create similar music.
Music use cases will shine in the Metaverse—auto-generated ambient soundtracks or virtual artists with “David Bowie–style” music becoming mainstream. Collectibility would resemble image-based NFT mechanics. Technically, this is already feasible.
Meta Connection: Can you elaborate on why you’re optimistic about music NFTs? Are there any specific projects or teams you’re watching?
ZOOJOO: Haven’t seen any yet. Listening to streaming apps seems better for now. I won’t mint existing ones at this stage.
There are four reasons: First, prices are too high. Some mediocre tracks wouldn’t be hits on Apple Music or anywhere else, yet as NFTs they sell for thousands of dollars—why? Second, almost all are Hip-Hop, not inherently Crypto-native. I think genres like “post-punk” align better with Crypto culture. Third, I haven’t seen truly innovative breakthroughs. Lastly, storage and technical limitations remain.
Record labels and music platforms offer musicians very little financial return. While traffic still needs platform support, placing copyright and revenue control directly in artists’ hands would benefit the music industry more.
Also, I believe tasteful music NFTs shouldn’t cost more than vinyl records. Only when they’re priced below CD albums will the music NFT explosion truly begin.
3. Pay attention to Tencent’s Zhixin Chain works
Meta Connection: I recall you gave Tencent’s Zhixin Chain a favorable review. Could you elaborate on why you appreciate it?
ZOOJOO: Web3 enthusiasts who completely dismiss all efforts in the Web2 world are essentially being arrogant. Zhixin Chain represents professionals doing professional work—dancing in chains—and achieving such quality is no easy feat.
Meta Connection: Besides Tencent, which other big tech companies’ NFT strategies are you following?
ZOOJOO: AntChain, and I’ll also closely watch the development of BSN. AntChain can be compared to Zhixin Chain, though it’s somewhat more conservative.
4. Most focused on PAK; personal collection target may exceed 400 this year
Meta Connection: When did you first start paying attention to the NFT space? What triggered your interest?
ZOOJOO: If the Metaverse is real, then the NFT space is real. Once a significant portion of people believe in the Metaverse narrative, a value network can sustain the worth and circulation of non-fungible tokens.
My turning point was attending an offline seminar on NFT fractionalization, roughly before last year’s Meebits launch. I disagreed with some ideas presented, so I wrote an article—which ultimately helped me clarify my own thoughts. Also, I偶然 joined one of China’s earliest collectible NFT projects. As more projects launched, my experience and understanding grew.
Meta Connection: What’s the most satisfying thing you’ve done in the NFT space? Any setbacks? Please share.
ZOOJOO: My proudest moment was sketching a character concept in black marker on a whiteboard at 5 PM one afternoon, then launching a 10K project with a group of friends that very night. It minted out in four hours, Discord buzzing with excitement.
Of course, there were setbacks. I invested in and participated in the CosmoChamber NFT project, considered by many the most beautiful NFT in China. I poured 120% of my energy into it, leveraging all my past experience, technical development skills, and collaborating with China’s top artists on contract innovation.
So many galleries and auction houses proactively sought collaboration that I lost count. I even learned that a Beijing-based NFT company used our project as a demo to pitch to clients. Despite critical acclaim, the market explosion we hoped for never materialized.
Looking back, the innocent era of NFT operations is over. The second half belongs to the era of NFT capital—only well-funded, high-quality projects will succeed.
Meta Connection: Who do you admire most in the NFT space—investors or institutions? Why?
ZOOJOO: The first name that comes to mind is PAK. He uniquely integrates ERC721, ERC1155, and ERC tokens in organic ways, expressing an aesthetic vastly different from contemporary art.
Another figure I deeply respect is Damien Hirst and his “Currency” project. Typically, “super artists” transitioning from the traditional world struggle to adapt or fail to grasp NFT aesthetics. Yet this veteran successfully crossed over, releasing works that felt both natural and highly successful in the new domain.
Meta Connection: What goals have you set for yourself this year?
ZOOJOO: No grand goals—just releasing my own personal artwork.
I’ll also explore some lightweight projects on Polygon and Tezos.
Another goal is to return to the DeFi era.
Barring surprises, I estimate my NFT collection will exceed 400 pieces this year—but don’t follow my lead; most might end up worthless.
Meta Connection: Do you have any professional idols? What books are you reading lately?
ZOOJOO: Recently I’ve been going through a batch of art books, including catalogs of Dutch artists. I’m considering turning some early Renaissance works into NFTs. PAK is actually my professional idol, but what I want to do now is become a node—connecting China’s finest artists together.
“Meta Connection” is a featured interview series by Meta Connection (Yuanyouhui), a vertical media brand focusing on Metaverse entrepreneurs and innovators. Hosted by financial journalist Fang Qinyu. For interview inquiries, please contact [email protected].
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