The metaverse is a place that is under constant development and not homogenous. It is a collection of several places rather than a single digital space. Meta is trying to transform social media into a metaverse-like experience, and many successful NFT collections have built their own version of the metaverse. Recently, an unlikely player entered the arena and presented itself as a new participant in Web3.

Why is Interpol entering the metaverse, and do they need a search warrant to do so?

Would you like to get a tour?

Interpol announced the first metaverse specifically designed for law enforcement during the 90th Interpol General Assembly that was held in New Delhi last week. Registered users can enjoy a virtual tour through the headquarters in Lyon and interact with other officers through avatars.

Another exciting use-case is the virtual training center for police officers. Unfortunately, Interpol’s version of the metaverse is not hosted on Ethereum, Solana or Avalanche. Instead, it is provided on Interpol’s own secure cloud service.

Interpol is not the first official organization that enters the metaverse. Barbados and Dubai both opened virtual embassies, and brands like Adidas are using NFTs with connection to the metaverse for brand marketing and new digital products.

Why is Interpol opening up to the metaverse?

According to the official press release, Interpol’s concern is not marketing, but rather experiencing a shift from the real world in to digital realms. This is not only true for legitimate use of the new technology, but also for crimes that are committed.

Interpol likes to take on the opportunity to stay prepared and experience the space that it needs to guard. The metaverse has the potential to change not only products and marketing, but also the way people are going to interact with each other on a global scale.

That being said, this is yet another example that the metaverse is indeed the future. It remains to be seen if it is also the future for crypto. Users have a choice. They either opt for a crypto-driven metaverse where users own content and take part in governance decisions, or they adopt a corporate version. The latter offers some advantages like NFTs, but is still limited when it comes down to inheriting the platform itself. Facebook has repeatedly sold its users, and it would come to no surprise if that story is going to continue with Marc Zuckerberg’s Meta.