This session serves as an introduction to some alternative technical infrastructure of the metaverse. Very broadly, blockchains, NFTs and DAOs serve as a different infrastructure and architecture for a metaverse not built on data economies (like with Meta) but on decentralization and commercialization.
These topics are very complicated so the session only seeks to offer a basic introduction. If there is more time in the class and depending on student interest the session could be split up into two or three.
The blockchain is the technology behind cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, but also Ethereum and other open source distributed systems which enable what are called smart contracts.
https://andersbrownworth.com/blockchain/ - this Blockchain Demo is a very useful took to explain how blockchain works. The videos are helpful and students can themselves play with hashes, blocks, and chains.
Whereas Bitcoin or Ether are fungible tokens, meaning all tokens are the same, non-fungible tokens or NFTs are singular tokens. They usually register ownership on a blockchain, but may also include e.g. actual image files. They have become the primary means by which ownership is regulated and value is governed in the blockchain-based internet, including parts of the metaverse such as Decentraland.
This video explains some of the functions of and hype around NFTs. It would also be interesting to look at e.g. https://opensea.io to see how NFTs get traded.
The essay by Bogost discusses the impact of NFTs on the blockchain-based internet as a matter of commercialization and speculation.
Decentralized autonomous organizations or DAOs are built on blockchains and smart contracts. Basically, the idea is to govern organizations through blockchains, usually with tokens needed to partake in decision-making. The smart contracts that govern DAOs can be very different. Practically, it could be worth looking e.g. at the DAO that governs Decentraland: https://dao.decentraland.org/en/.
