Indian cricketer, Shikhar Dhawan announced a collaboration with Web3 fintech startup, Bliv.Club, and Web3 metaverse startup, WIOM to launch the first sports city in the metaverse. The launch is scheduled for September.

“I have always tried to keep abreast with technology trends. I am really intrigued by how sports can blend with the latest Web3 innovations. With the evolving internet consumption trends of millennials and Gen Z, our multifaceted team is pushing the boundaries in the virtual reality space to make it truly democratic and accessible for everyone,” said Shikhar Dhawan.

Virtual sports city

The yet-to-be-launched multifaceted sports city will be home to cricket stadiums, a sportsplex- to watch sport, a sports cafe, gym, e-sports zone, cottages, running tracks, the first of its kind 3D immersive sports museum, sports library, an arena for other sports and more.

Abhinav Tandon, founder, WIOM, said, “The initiative aims at the development of a sports universe for enthusiasts. This will essentially be a sports city built on the latest blockchain-based tech stack, with the idea of evolving into a community-owned and decentralized platform enabling utility tokens, dApps, and an XR-based pedagogy ecosystem.”

“Knowing the value of the community-owned platform in web3, this virtual city will have a special place for its residents and users. As a Web3 Fintech company, our goal will always be to bring futuristic solutions today to the masses,” said Vikas Singh, co-founder, Bliv.Club.

The global metaverse market is anticipated to reach a market value of around $1,803 billion by 2030, growing at an annual rate above 45.8 per cent from 2022 to 2030.