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The term metaverse is mainly used to refer to a player-owned world built on blockchain technology that utilizes cryptocurrency, and may have virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) features. Most metaverses require users to purchase in-game items and parcels with cryptocurrency, and these items are almost always nonfungible tokens (NFTs).
Overall, the main goal with a metaverse is to explore, chat, game and build the world with other players — and it’s meant to (eventually) function as an extension of our current reality.
Both Cryptovoxels and Decentraland are considered metaverses, use the Ethereum blockchain and have similar play-to-earn methods; but that’s where their similarities end. They differ in VR gear capabilities, style, in-game currency and virtual real estate availability.
Cryptovoxels vs. Decentraland: Snapshot comparison
Quickly compare compatible crypto wallets, parcel availability, marketplace fees and more.
Cryptovoxels
Decentraland
Launch year
2018
2017
Plots of land
5,919 parcels
90,000 parcels
VR capabilities
Yes
No
Tokens in circulation
ETH: over 119 million
MANA: over 1.8 billion
Crypto wallet required
No, but required to create an account and store digital assets.
No, but a software wallet required to store digital assets.
Wallets supported
MetaMask, WalletConnect, Coinbase or Facebook (via Torus).
Software wallets that can be integrated with browsers. Recommends MetaMask.
Marketplace fees
2.5% on all transactions
2.5% MANA cost in all transactions
Cryptovoxels breakdown
Cryptovoxels is a bit of an underdog in this metaverse matc up, but it has notable advantages over Decentraland.
As of 2021, it had less than 9,000 registered users, as reported by Global Digital Assets. Decentraland has roughly 800,000 users, reported by The Generalist, and an estimated 600M active monthly users. However, players don’t need to register as a user to enter Cryptovoxels or Decentraland, and guest accounts aren’t recorded, so actual player count is hard to nail down.
Cryptovoxels became open to the public in 2018, and originally used the in-game currency COLR. It’s now a dead token, and Cryptovoxels switched to using ether (ETH), Ethereum’s native asset. We see this as an advantage over Decentraland, since players don’t need to swap tokens around to get a unique in-game currency.
This metaverse requires player interaction. Users can create and sell their own, unique Cryptovoxel assets that can be built using the Cryptovoxels building tool.
Editing tools, player chat and the avatar creation are built into the game. Players can buy a virtual parcel and host events for other players to attend, like dance parties, art shows, mazes or just a hang-out sesh.
The Cryptovoxels’ marketplace and in-game storefronts are run by OpenSea, one of the largest NFT marketplaces, which is also built on Ethereum. Users that create NFTs using Cryptovoxels’ building software and mint on the platform can earn up to 10% royalties from secondary sales — Decentraland doesn’t offer royalties on NFTs minted on the platform (yet).
And if you’re looking for a more immersive experience, Cryptovoxels supports the most popular VR headsets including Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. To date, Decentraland has no VR support.
Like other metaverse games, there are ways to earn income while playing. Earning methods in Cryptovoxels include:
Rent, buy and sell virtual parcels, Cryptovoxels Parcel (CVPA)
Sell usernames and unique Cryptovoxels assets
Earning royalties from secondary sales of NFTs (up to 10%)
Create NFT storefronts, art galleries, mazes and more
Decentraland breakdown
It’s nearly impossible to talk about crypto metaverses without mentioning Decentraland, seeing as it’s considered the first in existence. Development for the project began in 2015, became a fully-realized metaverse in 2017, and opened to the public in 2020.
Decentraland remains one of the most talked-about metaverses. It’s expansive, creative and offers players the opportunity to earn income. It uses its own currency, an Etheruem token called MANA.
MANA is used to purchase in-game assets such as parcels (LAND), avatar wearables and can even be used to get a mortgage. At the time of writing, MANA is valued at $2.40 according to CoinMarketCap.
Decentraland lets creators build their own play-to-earn games on their owned LAND. Among the most popular genres are casinos featuring games like blackjack, roulette and slot machines. Players can also participate in these custom play-to-earn games as an employee and get paid by the game owner.
The possibilities are nearly endless when it comes to customizing what you do within the game — provided you’re willing to invest time, crypto and energy.
Style-wise, the game is more realistic-looking than Cryptovoxels. Cryptovoxels is more Minecraft-inspired, featuring blocky avatars and features, whereas Decentraland’s avatars and world are rounded and cartoonish rather than pixelated.
Some play-to-earn strategies in Decentraland include:
Buy and sell LAND, Decentraland’s parcels
Host events on your LAND
Mint NFT wearables to sell at the marketplace
Use the tool builder to create play-to-earn games on your LAND
Stake MANA with third-party providers
Cryptovoxels vs Decentraland: Real estate
Both metaverses allow users to buy virtual parcels. In Decentraland it’s ERC-721 tokens LAND, and in Cryptovoxels it’s called Cryptovoxels Parcel (CVPA), also a ERC-721 token.
Cryptovoxels has significantly less available real estate, and Decentraland offers players mortgages to get pricey parcels.
Cryptovoxels
With a maximum supply of 5,919 parcels, real estate is limited compared to Decentraland’s 90,000 parcels.
Land in Cryptovoxels can be purchased either in weekly primary land sales, or on the secondary market with OpenSea. To become a landowner, you need a digital wallet, either MetaMask, WalletConnect, Coinbase or Facebook via Torus.
Select Buy Parcels on the main navigation bar to look at land for sale. Prices for CVPA float around 1 to 7 ETH, on average, at the time of writing.
Decentraland
While Decentraland has a maximum of 90,000 parcels, not all of those parcels are up for grabs. Aside from the ones that are off the market, some parcels will never be for sale, as they’re reserved for special in-game events.
To buy LAND in the game, select Marketplace on the main navigation bar at Decentraland.org. Then filter by asset: Land, Collectibles or My Store. You need a MANA and a digital wallet to purchase LAND.
Buying LAND in Decentraland can be costly, typically ranging from 30,000 MANA ($69,600) to over one million MANA ($2,320,000) — or more.
However, Decentraland offers players the opportunity to take on a mortgage to buy LAND, thanks to a partnership with Ripio Credit Network (RCN). These mortgages are set up similarly to real-world mortgages — there’s an application process, a required 10% down payment (in MANA), interest rates and the like. Players make scheduled payments and once the balance is paid, they can officially claim the property.
Cryptovoxels vs. Decentraland on NFTs
In-game assets in metaverses are almost always NFTs, and Cryptovoxels and Decentraland are no exception. Both use ERC tokens.
Cryptovoxels
To be frank, the Cryptovoxels’ NFT market isn’t very pretty to look at. It’s clunky, and looks like it was designed in the 90s. However, you don’t have to use the Cryptovoxels’ market, since you can just head to OpenSea — which has a more user-friendly interface and design.
Users create their own Cryptovoxels assets to be sold on the market, at OpenSea or in the metaverse itself. If you set up a storefront in the game, users view your items for sale, make their selections and are directed to the OpenSea marketplace for purchase.
If you create your own assets using Cryptovoxels’ design tools, you can earn royalties from secondary sales, up to 10%. But remember that the market takes 2.5% of all transactions.
Decentraland
Compared to Cryptovoxels, Decentraland’s marketplace is wonderfully designed. It’s clean, easy to use and looks modern. However, you can only earn from primary sales — no royalties.
However, in January 2022, Decentraland announced that royalties will be implemented, but assets created before this implementation will not be grandfathered in. Decentraland also takes 2.5% from all transactions made on its marketplace.
Gemini is a cryptocurrency exchange with a simple UI that's user-friendly and accommodating to newcomers and experienced traders.
Gemini's strongest point is its Gemini Earn program, which allows users to earn up to 7.4% interest on specified cryptocurrency balances.
Gemini has a wide selection of cryptos available for exchange on the platform. However, some notable entries from the top 20 by market cap are missing, such as Cardano and Solana.
Deposit Methods
Bank transfer (ACH) Cryptocurrency Debit card PayPal Apple Pay Google Pay SWIFT
Deposit Fees
Cryptocurrency: None Bank transfer (ACH): None, bank fees may apply Wire Transfer: Determined by your bank Debit Card: 3.49% + Trading Fees Paypal: 2.50% of total deposit amount + Trading Fees
Withdrawal Fees
Cryptocurrency: None (for 10 withdrawals and below per month) Others: None (for 10 withdrawals and below per month)
Trading Fees
Taker fee - 0.03-0.4% Maker fee - 0-0.2%
Compare marketplaces to buy metaverse NFTs
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Cryptovoxels vs. Decentraland: Who backs them?
Cryptovoxels was developed by Nolan Consulting — namesake Ben Nolan — an independent game developer based in New Zealand. Decentraland is overseen by the nonprofit Decentraland Foundation, developed by Esteban Ordano and Ari Meilich.
Both metaverses earn from marketplace transactions and from selling their respective native currencies at launch.
Bottom line
For many, the obvious choice in metaverse experiences is Decentraland. It’s credited as the first player-owned metaverse, has major in-game earning potential and gives users freedom to customize their experience. And if you want a choice parcel, you have the option to take on a mortgage.
However, Cryptovoxels have solid advantages. For starters, Cryptovoxels supports VR gear to create a more immersive experience. Additionally, creators can earn up to 10% royalties from their unique Crytovoxels assets and sell them on their own land. Decentraland is implementing royalties, but assets that are or were created before this update are out of luck.
Decentraland has more users than Cryptovoxels — at least on paper — but it’s losing some interest in recent months. According to data from the last 30 days, Decentraland is losing around 15% of its users per day on average, as pointed out by CoinDesk in April 2022.
Luckily, in both metaverses, there’s no investment required to test them out. You can enter either game as a guest without creating an account or buying anything, so it wouldn’t hurt to give both a test run before investing your hard-earned crypto.
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Bethany Hickey is the banking editor and personal finance expert at Finder, specializing in banking, lending, insurance, and crypto.
Bethany’s expertise in personal finance has garnered recognition from esteemed media outlets, such as Nasdaq, MSN, Yahoo Finance, GOBankingRates, SuperMoney, AOL and Newsweek. Her articles offer practical financial strategies to Americans, empowering them to make decisions that meet their financial goals. Her past work includes articles on generational spending and saving habits, lending, budgeting and managing debt.
Before joining Finder, she was a content manager where she wrote hundreds of articles and news pieces on auto financing and credit repair for CarsDirect, Auto Credit Express and The Car Connection, among others.
Bethany holds a BA in English from the University of Michigan-Flint, and was poetry editor for the university’s Qua Literary and Fine Arts Magazine. See full bio
Bethany's expertise
Bethany has written 446 Finder guides across topics including:
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