Table of Contents
ToggleHave you ever heard of a virtual world where you can buy land, build houses, open stores, host events, and even make money, all happening on the blockchain? That is Decentraland – one of the first and most prominent decentralized metaverse projects in the Web3 space. What makes this project special? Let's explore with Allinstation through the article below!
What is Decentraland (MANA)?
Decentraland is a virtual world platform operating on the Ethereum blockchain, where users can own land (in the form of Non-Fungible Tokens), build 3D structures, organize social and commercial activities, and create and earn money from digital experiences. The project is governed by a decentralized DAO, where the user community holds governance rights through the ownership of MANA and LAND tokens.
Unlike traditional games, Decentraland is not controlled by a central company; all development, update, and governance decisions are consensually made by the community through the DAO, truly embodying the "decentralized" spirit of Web3.
- Crowdsale (ICO): 40%
- Decentraland Foundation: 20%
- Team & Early Contributors: 20%
- Community & Partners: 20%
MANA Token Release Schedule
Using a decreasing inflation model, initially 8% per year.
Development Roadmap (2025)
Q1-Q2/2025:
- Expand Decentraland Worlds: Allow users to own private virtual spaces.
- Upgrade SDK 8.0 – Support more complex game scripting, optimize 3D engine.
Q3-Q4/2025:
- Deploy VR support beta: Experience Decentraland through virtual reality glasses.
- Integrate AI NPCs (AI virtual characters) to enhance metaverse role-playing.
Project Team, Investors & Partners of Decentraland (MANA)
Project Team
Decentraland is developed by Decentraland Foundation, the organization behind coordinating technical development, communications, and DAO governance. The project was established in 2015 by two key figures:
- Ariel Meilich – Former Project Lead: Worked at Charles River Ventures, a Venture Capital firm in Silicon Valley. Ariel initiated the first vision for Decentraland during 2015-2020.
- Esteban Ordano – Former CTO, Co-Founder: A veteran blockchain engineer who worked at BitPay and founded Smart Contract Solutions. Esteban played a crucial role in developing the technical infrastructure (including VR and NFT platforms) of Decentraland.
Currently, the project's operations are led by Decentraland DAO, where MANA and LAND token holders have voting rights to determine the platform's development direction. This helps maintain decentralization and community ownership.
Investors
During the initial capital raising period (ICO in August 2017), the project successfully raised 27 million USD in just a few days, with MANA selling at 0.024 USD per token. This was one of the most successful ICOs in the early market stage.
Animoca Brands – October 2018: Decentraland received a 500,000 USD investment from Animoca Brands, one of the leading groups in blockchain gaming and metaverse. This investment played a crucial role in supporting Decentraland's NFT development, expanding gaming application capabilities, and consolidating its position in the metaverse market.
Digital Currency Group – January 2020: Decentraland received an undisclosed investment from Digital Currency Group (DCG) – an investment group behind major companies like Grayscale, CoinDesk, and Foundry. Support from DCG helped Decentraland expand its operations, develop new products, and enhance strategic partnerships in the blockchain and digital asset industry.
Partners
Decentraland has partnered with many large organizations in both Web3 and traditional sectors, helping to expand application scope and build a sustainable metaverse brand. Notable partners:
- Polygon Labs – Layer-2 infrastructure for lower transaction fees, integrated since 2021.
- Samsung – Built a virtual showroom in Decentraland.
- J.P. Morgan – First bank to open an "Onyx Lounge" in Decentraland metaverse.
- UNICEF – Organized charity fundraising events in the virtual world.
- Australian Open – Hosted tennis tournament as a virtual reality event.
- Metaverse Fashion Week – Regular fashion event with participation from Dolce & Gabbana, Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY,…
Summary
Decentraland is one of the pioneering metaverse projects with a clear decentralized model, active community, and increasingly complete infrastructure. Despite experiencing a cooling period after the 2021 metaverse boom, Decentraland has maintained stable operations, regularly updated technology, and attracted many large events in its virtual world.
With a strong foundation and long-term vision, Decentraland can continue to be a pillar of the Web3 social & metaverse sector in the future. This article is for informational purposes and is not investment advice.
