METTA VS META…This time it’s personal!

Gary CAO of Medallion XLN

DALL-E 2 Prompt: a black bald head basketball player, from the la lakers is in a boxing match against a red haired tech ceo wearing a grey hoodie

Former NBA Superstar Ron Artest was ahead of his time. He abruptly changed his name to “Metta World Peace”, during the 2011 NBA offseason. That was just two years after this Bitcoin thing was launched. Seven years after the world was introduced to Facebook. This Metta was a one-off, never to be duplicated. While most of the basketball world scratched their collective heads over this intriguing name change, the man behind the name, changed too. While Ron Artest was a fierce, take-names, and kick-ass type of player, with no regard for boundaries. Opposing teams and their fans loved to hate him. But his two most vicious opponents since childhood were anxiety and depression. On June 17, 2010, the night he’d won an NBA Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers, during a post-game interview with the whole world watching, he revealed that he was receiving treatment for mental illness. To this day, he is a huge voice for advocating men to destroy the stereotypes surrounding mental health treatment and seek help.

Ron Artest AKA “Metta World Peace”

According to an article in CBS/NBA, Metta is a Buddhist term for “loving-kindness,” something the tenacious defender rarely shared with the opponents he shared the floor with. “I changed my name because I got tired of Ron Artest, he’s an (expletive),” he told the LA Times in 2011. “And when fans get mad at me, they can’t say, I hate World Peace.” In May 2020 Metta changed his name to Metta Sandiford-Artest, a merging of his surname and his wife’s last name.

When Facebook changed its company name to Meta, Metta was, “very happy” with the name change. While Metta’s name change was a personal choice to reflect his new mentality. Facebook's change was to reflect its vision of a metaverse where the physical and virtual worlds collide. Merav Ozair, Ph.D. in an article for NASDAQ shares the origin of the “Metaverse.” The term “Metaverse” was coined by Neal Stephenson in his 1992 science fiction book, Snow Crash. In the book, he presented a kind of virtual reality where every interaction could have a direct impact on the physical world. Sounds impossible? Not really.

Think about teleconferencing using Zoom or Microsoft Teams; this was considered science fiction in, “Back to the Future.” Communicating via wristband was futuristic in “Star Trek” and “Dick Tracy” but we can do that now with an Apple Watch. We can even ask our phones and cars for directions and ask Alexa to turn on or off lights in our Smart Homes. Everything we once imagined has become part of our reality and everyday culture, and the metaverse will be no exception. Blockchain technology will be the enabler. Brands are not only acknowledging this next cultural evolution, but are also understanding the power of blockchain technology in the context of the metaverse, and are making investments in the metaverse, through the creation of NFTs and other digital asset marketplaces.

Dick Tracy’s Smart Watch

In May an article by Arti for INSIGHT titled, “How To Make Money In Metaverse? A Beginners Guide”, enlightens us about the unlimited earning potential inside the metaverse. From tech giants to fashion brands, everyone is placing their bets on Metaverse, but how can you make a profit out of it? Show me the money baby! Here are several ways to employ your talents in the metaverse.

Online Shopping or Virtual Clothing. In Decentraland, clothing for avatars - known as “wearables” - can be bought and sold on the blockchain with NFTs.

Create and monetize VR games. Like 3D accessories, one could design and publish end-to-end games in VR using design platforms like Horizon Worlds.

Conduct Metaverse events. This is already an extremely popular way to make money in the metaverse. Live concerts by real artists can attract massive crowds, and organizers can charge users in the form of paid tickets. Warner Music has already partnered with metaverse platform The Sandbox to create a virtual concert hall. Snoop Dog’s recently acquired Death Row Records is poised to become an NFT label.

NFT Freelance Artist, Metaverse Architect, and Designer and becoming a Real Estate Dealer of Prime Properties in the metaverse are other incredible opportunities in this alternate universe.

According to Coindesk Spotlight via YouTube my man Metta Sandiford-Artest hasn’t lost a step since retiring. He just found a new team in the digital arena. Metta is partnering with decentralized sneaker company Blank Soles to debut “Metta Designsoles,” a collection of limited edition Solana-based NFTs and physical sneakers. Who knows, maybe we’ll see Metta back on the court in Lakers’ gear in the metaverse. Let the trash talking begin!

But don’t be talking trash about Medallion XLN. You might catch an elbow. Better yet, buy one of our many kick-ass NFTs and talk trash to your friends that don’t have one…yet. Maybe they’ll buy two, and you’ll have to step up your game. I’m just saying. We have enough for everybody.

C’mon, get in the game. The launch has begun!

Medallion XLN Interoperability NFT represents Medallion XLN’s vision to create a metaverse that is the operating system for the real world. A metaverse where models can be trained in worlds that replicate our own, but new ideas can be tried and discarded depending on success. This will allow human civilization to rapidly prototype and prove new ideas at the cheapest rate possible.

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