Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, NFTs and Metaverse: Four New Concepts Explained

Rabindra Ratan
Rabindra Ratan
Michigan State University

Rabindra (โ€œRobbyโ€) Ratan is an Associate Professor and AT&T Scholar at Michigan State Universityโ€™s (MSU) Department of Media and Information, as well as Director of the Social and Psychological Approaches to Research on Technology-Interaction Effects (SPARTIE) Lab.ย  A former MSU Lilly Teaching Fellow, he is the recipient of theย MSU Teacher-Scholar Awardย and theย MSU AT&T Instructional Technology Award. Dr. Ratan has written forย Wiredย magazine and TheConversation.com and has been featured as a media technology expert on NPR and in theย Washington Post.ย Ratan received his Ph.D. from USCโ€™s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, his M.A. in Communication from Stanford University, and his B.A. in Science, Technology and Society, also from Stanford University.

 

Overview

Our reality has been growing increasingly virtual for decades. Each new major information technologyโ€”from radio to television to the Internet to Mobile Phonesโ€”dramatically changes the way people work, socialize, and play. We are presently standing at the doorstep of a new technological revolution that will transform how people own and experience information: in particular, digital goods. This new socio-technical existence will rely on a class of assets enabled by blockchain technologiesโ€”cryptocurrencies and NFTsโ€”and will be integrated into our daily lives via the metaverse.

If that last sentence reads like a doozy and makes you feel like a virtual neophyte (get it,ย virtualย neophyte!?), then this class is for you. Dr. Ratan will ease you into these four fundamental concepts, explaining what they mean, how they are related to each other, and why they are important. Dr. Ratan will also describe a bit of his latest research on perceptions of cryptocurrencies and the metaverse. Lastly, he will provide some simple tips on how to dip a toe into the metaverse yourself.

 

Recommended Reading:

Experience on Demand: What Virtual Reality Is, How it Works, and What it Can Do, byย Jeremy Bailenson

Step into the Metaverse: How the Immersive Internet Will Unlock a Trillion-Dollar Social Economy, by Mark van Rijmenam

Cryptocurrency,ย by Jake Frankenfield (online article)

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cryptocurrency.asp

NFTs, explained,ย byย Mitchell Clark (online article)

https://www.theverge.com/22310188/nft-explainer-what-is-blockchain-crypto-art-faq

The metaverse is money and crypto is king โ€“ why youโ€™ll be on a blockchain when youโ€™re virtual-world hopping, by Rabindra Ratan and Dar Meshi (online article)

https://theconversation.com/the-metaverse-is-money-and-crypto-is-king-why-youll-be-on-a-blockchain-when-youre-virtual-world-hopping-171659

 

 

 

Reviews

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David Rocker

This was an excellent presentation but it leaves one with the feeling that much of this is like tulipmania

3 months ago
Evon Ballash

Metaverse explored

Interesting lecture on the Metaverse, Bitcoin, Blockchain, NFT and virtual reality. A real eye opening topic for novices who want to learn about the digital world and not get left behind.

3 months ago
Bryan Williams

Great Lecture

Excellent lecture. I have a long career as a professor in health sciences and signed on to this lecture because I really did not understand anything in the world of cryptocurrency, NFT’s or the Virtual World. I came away with a good basic understanding and much more personal comfort with these topics. This professor is clearly knowledgeable and has an inherent enthusiasm for his area of expertise. Robby is an excellent teacher. I’d highly recommend this lecture as a learning experience and a great way to productively spend a little over an hour.

3 months ago
Eric L Hoover

Mind Blowing

This lecture was extremely informative & mind blowing. It also contains good investment advice!

16 hours ago
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