During Token2049 Singapore week, I had the privilege, thanks to the Foundation, to represent Decentraland as an Ambassador and speak as a panelist at two side events. The panel topics were “From Viral to Valuable: Turning Internet Culture into Digital Assets” and “On-Chain Playgrounds: What True Ownership Means for Gamers.”
Across both sessions, the discussions explored how Decentraland has evolved over time, how the platform can be leveraged to amplify memes and internet culture, and how these cultural elements can evolve into digital assets such as NFTs, 3D wearables, digital twins, and headquarters (HQs). We also discussed how such assets can be monetized by trendsetters or meme creators within their communities.
One key observation was that many attendees had heard of Decentraland and even logged in at least once, mostly during the metaverse hype of 2021–2022, but were unaware of how much the platform has progressed since then. During the panel, I emphasized that Decentraland is currently at its “Street Fighter II moment.” I drew a parallel to the Street Fighter franchise, where the first version launched in 1986 with limited graphics, and five years later, Street Fighter II revolutionized the experience, eventually evolving over 35 years into Street Fighter 6. This analogy highlighted Decentraland’s ongoing growth phase and its potential for long-term evolution.
After the session, one audience member approached me to share that he had purchased a LAND near Fashion Street back in 2021 but had not revisited or built anything on it since. I encouraged him to log back in and explore the new Decentraland, which has significantly evolved with fresh content, communities, and creative possibilities. Thanks to the stickers, pins and keychains collected in Lisbon, I was able to give them to some members of the audience and people I met during Token2049 conference.
Overall, this was my first panel experience as a Decentraland Ambassador, and I look forward to representing Decentraland in future speaking engagements as new opportunities arise.
