Mark Zuckerberg announces that Meta will trial the sale of virtual products in the metaverse.

• Meta, formerly known as Facebook, is currently testing new tools that enable creators to sell virtual assets and experiences within the virtual worlds they construct on Horizon Worlds, as stated by Mark Zuckerberg.
• Zuckerberg stated that the capability to sell virtual items and gain access to items within worlds is a new aspect of the e-commerce equation in general.
• In recent months, virtual worlds such as Decentraland and The SandBox have seen a surge in demand for digital assets, with both companies and individuals purchasing a range of items including art and real estate.
• Now it appears that Zuckerberg wants to enable users to perform the same actions on Horizon Worlds.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, aims to simplify financial transactions on Horizon Worlds, Meta's virtual reality platform, as part of the company's plan to establish a "metaverse."

The tech billionaire announced in a video published Monday that Meta is testing new tools for creators to sell virtual assets and experiences within the worlds they build on Horizon.

Zuckerberg stated that the capability to sell virtual items and gain access to items within worlds is a new aspect of the e-commerce equation in general.

"We'll begin with a limited release to a select group of creators and evaluate its effectiveness before expanding to more."

Meta suggested that someone could create and sell accessories for a fashion-oriented environment or offer access to a new area of a specific world for a fee.

What is Horizon Worlds?

A virtual reality, online video game called Horizon Worlds (formerly Facebook Horizon) enables individuals to construct and traverse virtual environments.

The game was released on Meta's Oculus VR headsets in the U.S. and Canada on Dec. 9, but it is not yet available globally.

In recent months, companies and individuals have been purchasing various items, including art and real estate, in virtual worlds through platforms such as Decentraland and The Sandbox. Notably, Snoop Dogg has acquired virtual land and a fan spent $450,000 in December to purchase a plot adjacent to him on The Sandbox.

The metaverse economy could be worth between $8 trillion and 13 trillion by 2030, and Horizon Worlds has now started allowing buying and selling digital assets to capitalize on this potential.

Meta stated in a blogpost that the metaverse, being unconfined by physical space, will offer a fresh wave of creativity and present new prospects for the next generation of creators and entrepreneurs to pursue their passions and establish careers.

Some U.S. virtual world creators will receive direct payments from Meta in addition to in-world purchases for their work.

Zuckerberg stated that they were allocating funds to compensate and reward individuals who are creating exceptional worlds within Horizon.

The bonuses will be linked to monthly goal-oriented programs, with the creators receiving payment at the end of each month based on their progress towards the objective.

Meta announced that it may adjust the metrics used to measure and reward creators for building worlds that attract the most time spent in the future.

Meta launched a $10 million Horizon Creators Fund last October. However, it is unclear how much additional money Meta is allocating to pay creators on Horizon Worlds, as well as the maximum amount each creator can potentially earn.

Mark Zuckerberg, one of the world's wealthiest individuals, stated that monetizing creators is crucial for their financial stability and ability to make a living while creating exceptional experiences for others.

Meta's vision of a complex metaverse is not yet achievable, according to social media consultant Matt Navarra, who shared this with CNBC.

He stated that there remain uncertainties about its utilization and popularity.

"Implementing monetization tools in the metaverse can be a wise decision to establish a creator economy, according to Navarra. However, for most brands and creators, the metaverse is still a distant prospect that requires close monitoring in the short term."

TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are the primary sources of income for many creators. While the Metaverse is still in its early stages, it has the potential to become a significant player in the creator economy.