The Open Metaverse Play: Why Futureverse Is Gobbling Up Big Brands

Introduction: The Metaverse Isn’t Dead — It’s Just Getting Organized

After Meta’s pivot and the NFT crash, many declared the metaverse dead. But in 2025, a new contender is quietly building what could be Web3’s most serious attempt at an open metaverse — and they’re doing it by acquiring everything.

Meet Futureverse, a New Zealand-based startup on a mission to build the metaverse’s foundational layer. In just months, they’ve absorbed key digital collectible platforms, partnered with legacy brands, and raised eyebrows with a vision that fuses AI, blockchain, and IP.

Their latest move? Acquiring Candy Digital, the NFT platform backed by MLB, Netflix, and Getty Images.

Here’s how Futureverse is trying to win the metaverse — not by building fast, but by buying smart.

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1. Who Is Futureverse?

Futureverse is a Web3 metaverse infrastructure company that aims to combine:

• AI-powered avatars and tools
• NFT standards and interoperability
• Decentralized identity protocols

They’re backed by big names, including Ripple, and have quietly assembled an empire of IP, creators, and tech. Their vision: a metaverse that isn’t walled off — but woven together.

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2. The Candy Digital Acquisition: Major League Moves

In March 2025, Futureverse acquired Candy Digital, the once-hyped NFT platform that minted:

• MLB’s official digital collectibles
• Netflix content tie-in NFTs
• Getty Images photography collections

Candy had stalled post-2022, but Futureverse sees value:

• Access to major brand partnerships
• Digital rights infrastructure
• A built-in audience of legacy fans

This move gives Futureverse a cultural payload most metaverse projects can only dream of.

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3. Their Strategy: Stack the Narrative, Not Just the Tech

While others focus on VR or land sales, Futureverse is doing:

• Brand licensing at scale
• AI tooling for creator assets
• Cross-IP storytelling frameworks

It’s less Roblox and more Ready Player One — but decentralized.

By acquiring diverse assets (from sports IP to generative AI companies), Futureverse is creating a cross-media metaverse toolkit with real reach.

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4. The Ripple Connection: Payments + IP?

Futureverse isn’t doing this alone. Their close ties to Ripple hint at deeper plans:

• NFTs on the XRP Ledger
• Interoperable wallets tied to RippleNet
• Creator monetization baked into payment rails

It’s an unusual but powerful combo — IP meets payments meets creator tooling.

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5. Futureverse World: A Soft Launch to Watch

Their own platform, Futureverse World, launched in early access:

• Immersive creator spaces
• AI NPCs powered by in-house tools
• Avatars that remember and evolve

Early testers call it “weirdly alive.” It’s not a Fortnite killer — but it’s personal, expressive, and modular.

The vibe? Less Meta’s corporate metaverse, more underground Web3 Disneyland.

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6. Why This Matters: IP Is the Trojan Horse

Futureverse isn’t fighting for attention with flashy land sales. Instead, they’re betting on familiar IPs to sneak Web3 into pop culture:

• A Getty Image NFT you can use as a metaverse room wall
• A Netflix character you can converse with
• MLB stadiums recreated as social hubs

It’s onboarding through brand nostalgia — and it might work.

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7. Criticism and Caution

Skeptics argue:

• Too many acquisitions = dilution of focus
• Metaverse fatigue is real
• Candy Digital’s glory days are behind it

But if Futureverse can stitch it all together, they may outlive the hype cycle others didn’t survive.

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Conclusion: Don’t Count Out the Metaverse Just Yet

While Big Tech fumbles VR and NFT bros pivot to memecoins, Futureverse is quietly doing something different: acquiring infrastructure, aligning with legacy brands, and building an open metaverse from the bottom up.

If they pull it off, they won’t just win the metaverse.

They’ll redefine it.

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