Investing, stocks, commodities, crypto and everything in between. This biweekly podcast with a focus on exchange-traded funds will guide you through the financial markets in Asia and beyond. Sponsored by HKEX.

The landscape for metaverse exchange traded funds (ETFs) is exploding, with 14 funds launched around the world and the possibility for that to double before the end of 2022. Rebecca Sin, Bloomberg Intelligence’s Asia ETF analyst, joins Yon and Matthew to break down the boom in metaverse ETFs, the outlook for new funds and asset accumulation and how she views the divergence in performance and fund flows for the sector. Check out: Metaverse's $80 Billion ETF Assets by 2024 Virtually a Reality {NSN R79JN4T0AFBB }

Nvidia is a key driver of the development of key technologies for the metaverse via its Omniverse platform, providing key artificial intelligence, simulation and other features that can be utilized across platforms. Rev Lebaredian, the Vice President of Omniverse and Simulation at Nvidia, joins us to break down the Omniverse strategy, building interoperability in the metaverse and the possibilities to carry items between metaverse experiences.

Blockchain, non-fungible tokens and other crypto technologies are shaping up to play a big role in the development of the metaverse. Nicolas Pouard, the Vice President of Ubisoft’s Innovation Lab and the head of the company’s blockchain initiatives, discusses the key benefits of blockchain and NFTs in virtual worlds, the early lessons from the company’s Quartz pilot program and the opportunity for create-to-earn games.

*Trailer* The metaverse is the next big technology platform, attracting online game makers, social networks and plenty of investment. Join the conversation with Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Analyst Matthew Kanterman and Supersocial founder and CEO Yonatan Raz-Fridman as we break down the biggest developments with the most interesting minds who are building, investing in and experiencing the metaverse. This episode is produced/mixed by Yang Yang, Bloomberg Radio and Podcast Producer

The metaverse is entering 2022 in the heart of its hype cycle, with companies across industries rapidly shaping their plans and strategies for this burgeoning next technology platform. Still, 2022 could the year where hype abates and the focus shifts back towards substance, development and the long-term vision for the metaverse. Supersocial co-founder and CEO Yonatan Raz-Fridman and Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Analyst Matthew Kanterman break down the hype cycle, the excitement of unlocking the creator economy and digital self-identity in the metaverse and provide some thoughts on virtual land sales on decentralized platforms.

The metaverse surged to the forefront of modern discourse in 2021 after being barely mentioned on the fringes of technology for most of the year, fueled by Roblox’s direct listing, Facebook’s name change to Meta Platforms and other technology giants entering the space. 2022 looks set to build on this momentum, though the hype cycle will inevitably die down as development continues apace. Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Analyst Matthew Kanterman and Supersocial Co-Founder and CEO Yonatan Raz-Fridman discuss who shaped the year, how the definition of the metaverse has become clarified in the last several months and make key predictions for 2022.

The burgeoning metaverse market is attracting tons of investment, accelerated by Facebook’s name change to Meta Platforms and companies including Microsoft, Alphabet, Apple and Nvidia outlining their strategies while others including Epic Games, Roblox, Unity and Tencent push on with the development of their strategies. Mario Stefanidis, the Vice President of Research at Roundhill Investments, talks about taking the long-view for developing the metaverse, the potential impact of blockchain and NFT’s on the industry and massive success of Roundhill’s Ball Metaverse ETF. Bloomberg Intelligence, the research arm of Bloomberg L.P., provides in-depth analysis and data on more than 2,000 companies and 130 industries. On the Bloomberg terminal, run BI . Mario Stefanidi:: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mario-stefanidis/ Check out Roundhill's ETF: https://www.roundhillinvestments.com/etf/meta/

Roblox is emerging as one of the driving forces of the metaverse, building an open platform that can connect creators and users of all age groups and geographies and creating myriad business opportunities. Craig Donato, Chief Business Officer of Roblox, breaks down how the company is leveraging its simultaneous social viral loops of to grow engagement and its user base, fueling myriad opportunities including working with brands to more directly engage with consumers and hosting virtual live events. We also discussed Roblox’s secret sauce, the Roblox Operating System, and how its culture is key to its success.

The use of blockchain, cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) – collectively known as “Web 3” technologies – will help to drive parts of the metaverse through consumer demand for ownership of virtual items and experiences. Ryan Gill, the CEO of Crucible, a Managing Director of the Open Meta Foundation and long-time Web 3 advocate, breaks down the opportunity and discusses the NFT opportunity, why Web 3 technologies make sense for the metaverse and the need for open standards to drive the development of this next big technology platform.

The creator economy is set to flourish in the metaverse era, providing deeper relationships and business opportunities for creators with their followers. Joost van Dreunen, a games industry analyst, investor and advisor and previously the founder and CEO of SuperData Research, breaks down the creator opportunity, how games are different from metaverse platforms and how the metaverse shapes investment strategies on this episode of Into the Metaverse.

Building the metaverse is going to take significant technology investment for several years. Marc Petit, the VP and General Manager of Unreal Engine at Epic Games, breaks down the emerging enabling technologies that are driving the metaverse, the role that real-time 3d software plays in the sector and the future of the Internet.

Brands have a massive opportunity to deepen relationships with consumers if they can successfully build a presence in the burgeoning metaverse, capitalizing on rising demand for digital asset ownership and self-expression. We dissect the opportunity with a leading metaverse brand consultant, Cathy Hackl, and discuss why brands need to be investing in the metaverse today.  Cathy Hackl https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathyhackl

In the inaugural episode of "Into the Metaverse," BI Senior Analyst Matthew Kanterman and Supersocial founder and CEO Yonatan Raz-Fridman discuss the current developments within metaverse.