Apple is gearing up to unveil its highly anticipated mixed-reality headset in the upcoming weeks, a move that is expected to inject new life into the metaverse industry. Earlier this year, the native tokens of blockchain-based metaverse projects Decentraland and Sandbox experienced significant price surges, partly fueled by rumors surrounding Apple’s foray into mixed reality.
Independent developer Udi Wertheimer highlighted this trend in a tweet on May 15, sarcastically alluding to influencer-driven meme coins and suggesting that Apple’s forthcoming release could impact the prices of metaverse tokens. According to Josh Gilbert, an eToro market analyst, Apple’s track record of delivering high-quality, market-shifting products leads him to believe that the company’s new headset will have a significant impact on the markets.
Nevertheless, Gilbert also expressed reservations about the notion that the headset’s launch alone would be a transformative moment for metaverse-related cryptocurrencies. It’s worth noting that virtual reality and “metaverse tokens” are not necessarily synonymous. Decentraland is still in the process of developing its virtual reality capabilities, while The Sandbox has no immediate plans to integrate VR.
Gilbert and others recognize that achieving a fully immersive metaverse experience is still a distant goal, considering the time it took for iPhone apps to fully exploit the potential of the device after its initial launch. He believes that the performance of metaverse tokens like MANA and Sandbox’s token will hinge on the widespread adoption of the metaverse among everyday users.
The metaverse and its associated cryptocurrencies, such as MANA and SAND, gained immense popularity during the 2021 crypto bull run, as numerous projects aimed to create immersive virtual worlds. However, despite substantial investments in research and development, many of these companies, including Meta (formerly Facebook), have yet to achieve widespread adoption among everyday users.
According to a report by Apple product expert Mark Gurhman, the tech giant has scheduled the release of its new headset for June 5, marking its first major product launch since the Apple Watch in 2015.
