Why Open Protocols Are Essential for the Metaverse

Author: Takashi Higashi

Editor: Shigeki Mori

What Are Open Protocols?

The metaverse has rapidly become a focal point with the advancement of digital technologies in recent years. The metaverse refers to a virtual world where people can interact and experience a variety of digital spaces. As blockchain technology and AR/VR evolve, more companies are entering the metaverse space, working to deliver seamless and immersive experiences for users.

However, the metaverse faces a key challenge: the need for open protocols. Open protocols are standards and rules that allow different devices, applications, and platforms to communicate without restrictions. Much like HTTP or TCP/IP underpinning the Internet, open protocols provide the foundation for interoperability between distinct virtual worlds and platforms.

Open protocols are typically freely accessible, publicly documented, and available without licensing fees or usage restrictions. Their openness encourages user collaboration and innovation, increases transparency, and ensures interoperability across platforms. Developers are free to build new applications or features without limitations.

By contrast, closed protocols are proprietary standards owned and managed by a single entity. These are often confined to specific hardware or applications, making interoperability with other platforms difficult. They may also require high usage fees, and users could be subject to licensing costs for access.

The most important distinction between open and closed protocols is accessibility and transparency. Open protocols are available to everyone and are openly documented, enabling the entire community to drive improvement and evolution. In contrast, closed protocols are controlled by specific organizations, limiting outside contributions and enhancements.

Without open protocols, metaverse platforms would become isolated ecosystems, making it impossible to transfer digital assets or identities between platforms. To address this, adopting and expanding open protocols is essential.

Benefits of Open Protocols

The significance of open protocols in the metaverse closely resembles the role of Internet Protocol (IP) in the evolution of the Internet. Just as IP made cross-network communication possible and fueled the Internet’s growth, open protocols enable interoperability among virtual platforms in the metaverse.

This interoperability allows users to move digital assets like virtual real estate, collectibles, and currencies seamlessly across different platforms. For example, a user could wear an avatar outfit purchased on one metaverse platform on another platform as well.

Open protocols offer several advantages over closed protocols. Foremost is the promotion of user-driven innovation and collaboration. Developers can create new applications and features without facing restrictions. Open protocols also enable decentralized development, allowing anyone worldwide to contribute to the metaverse’s growth.

Open protocols spark users’ creativity and experimentation, fueling innovation. Developers and creators from diverse backgrounds collaborate in open, interactive communities. This environment fosters a vibrant, diverse ecosystem and leads to metaverse spaces that reflect real-world values.

Additionally, open protocols greatly enhance transparency for users and developers. Open documentation allows developers to quickly grasp core concepts and participate in protocol development smoothly. For users, this transparency clarifies how the metaverse operates and how their data is used, fostering trust and long-term adoption.

Enabling Interoperability

One of the most important features of open protocols is enabling interoperability. Interoperability empowers users to move freely between virtual worlds, carrying their identities, achievements, and digital assets seamlessly.

This is crucial for users who want to access multiple services or interact with people across platforms. Many users value the freedom to choose their platform and engage with friends regardless of ecosystem boundaries.

With open protocols, users can usually move between platforms without repeated logins or sign-ups. This significantly lowers barriers to entry and enables users to participate in shopping, gaming, learning, work, and other virtual activities with ease.

Open protocols help prevent centralization and achieve a more balanced distribution of power. While centralized systems may offer certain efficiencies, they often lead to a concentration of control over data and transactions by a few organizations, resulting in power imbalances.

By contrast, decentralized systems empower users to control their digital assets and interactions within the metaverse. In essence, decentralization in the metaverse ensures fair allocation of power and access, creating an environment where all users receive equitable and inclusive services. This is critical for a more democratic and sustainable digital society.

Risks of Closed Protocols

Many closed protocols are tied to proprietary software or technologies managed by small groups or a single organization. In the metaverse, relying on closed protocols poses significant risks that can impede the entire ecosystem’s growth.

Closed protocols can stifle innovation and collaboration, increase opacity, restrict interoperability, and perpetuate excessive centralization, creating several serious challenges.

Since closed protocols are generally developed and controlled by a single entity, external stakeholders have limited opportunities to contribute or provide input. This closed environment can result in a lack of diverse perspectives, ultimately stalling innovation and making it difficult for new ideas to emerge.

Closed protocols often enforce strict compliance with proprietary standards, severely restricting collaboration. As a result, developers, content creators, and other stakeholders find it harder to work together, which can slow development cycles and lead to incomplete user experiences.

Another major risk of closed protocols in the metaverse is increased opacity. Closed protocols frequently prioritize protecting intellectual property and proprietary information, which can undermine transparency and accountability. Users may have no insight into how the system works or how their data is handled.

Additionally, by relying on proprietary standards, closed protocols may deliberately hinder interoperability between platforms. This complicates communication and collaboration across organizations and may prevent users from transferring their identities or assets elsewhere.

The result is a fragmented digital landscape of isolated “virtual islands,” rather than the unified, inclusive metaverse we envision. Such fragmentation significantly undermines the metaverse’s potential.

Open Protocol Collaboration Examples

Promoting open protocols requires collaboration among organizations, enterprises, and influential individuals. Globally, numerous groups and projects are advancing open protocols.

For example, the Open Metaverse Interoperability Group supports the metaverse as an open, interoperable resource. Made up of passionate enthusiasts, industry experts, and independent creators, this group sees community collaboration, openness, and transparency as essential foundations for metaverse growth.

**The Interledger Protocol (ILP)** is an open protocol connecting different payment systems, recognized as essential technology for enabling cross-platform transactions in the metaverse. ILP allows users to transact securely and smoothly across multiple virtual worlds.

The **Decentralized Identity Foundation (DIF)** is a nonprofit dedicated to establishing open standards for decentralized identity systems. Through DIF’s initiatives, users retain ownership of their identities and digital assets as they move freely through different virtual worlds.

**VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language)** is another example of an open protocol used in the metaverse. VRML is an open standard for creating and sharing 3D virtual environments and objects and played a foundational role in the early days of metaverse development.

Another noteworthy example is Matera, an open protocol developed by Landvault. Matera tokenizes metaverse experiences, leveraging blockchain to connect people and economic activity. This makes it easy for individuals and organizations to collaborate and launch ventures across platform boundaries.

These cases show that open protocols are not just technical concepts—they play a critical role in practical metaverse development.

The Role of Metaverse Builders

**Metaverse experience builders** play a pivotal role in driving the adoption and growth of the metaverse. They collaborate closely with developers and designers, using open protocols to build virtual experiences and help realize interoperable, secure metaverse environments.

One of their key roles is to support brands, organizations, and public figures in entering the metaverse. They help these entities transition smoothly into a new phase of the Internet, creating experiences that attract broader audiences and user engagement.

Metaverse builders combine technical expertise with creative vision and a deep understanding of user experience. They harness the full potential of open protocols to design meaningful and engaging virtual experiences for users.

Their goals extend beyond profit. Experience builders aim to accelerate the metaverse economy through technology and promote equitable wealth distribution on the web. By building on open protocols, not only large corporations but also individual creators and small developers gain fair access to metaverse economic opportunities.

Metaverse builders also focus on community building and education, not just technical implementation. They promote the benefits of open protocols and support broader participation in metaverse development. This inclusive approach helps the metaverse evolve into a truly democratic and sustainable digital environment.

Open Protocols Are Essential for Metaverse Development

Open protocols are vital for the healthy development of the metaverse, providing seamless and secure virtual experiences for users. The metaverse has the potential to fundamentally transform our lives, work, and social connections.

With open protocols, the metaverse can extend far beyond entertainment to education, business, and social activities. Interoperability gives users the freedom to maintain their digital identities and assets while navigating different virtual spaces.

**To create an interoperable and inclusive metaverse, independent organizations and dedicated individuals must freely use and collaborate on protocols.** Open protocols not only establish technical standards but also embody the values and principles of the entire metaverse community.

The core principles of open protocols—transparency, accessibility, and decentralization—support the creation of a fairer, more democratic digital society. Metaverse environments built on these principles put the interests of all users first, rather than those of specific companies or organizations.

We stand on the threshold of a rich digital future. By building the metaverse on open protocols, we can realize a more inclusive, creative, and sustainable digital society. Now is the time for all stakeholders to come together and advance an open, interoperable metaverse.

FAQ

What Are Open Protocols in the Metaverse?

Open protocols in the metaverse are standardized rules that enable interoperability between platforms. They allow users to seamlessly share and use assets, identities, and data across multiple metaverse environments.

Why Are Open Protocols Needed in the Metaverse?

Open protocols are essential in the metaverse because they enable seamless interoperability between platforms. This grants users the freedom to transfer data and share assets and identities across platforms. Open protocols lay the foundation for true decentralization and an open economic system in the metaverse.

What Is the Difference Between Closed and Open Protocols in the Metaverse?

Closed protocols are restricted to specific companies, tightly controlled, and do not support interoperability. Open protocols, on the other hand, are available to everyone, offer greater flexibility, and make interoperability between platforms possible.

What Interoperability Challenges Do Current Metaverse Platforms Face?

Current metaverse platforms struggle with lack of interoperability, fragmentation into isolated ecosystems, and poor compatibility of assets and data. These issues limit user experience and inhibit market growth.

What Are the Technical Challenges of Implementing Open Protocols in the Metaverse?

Major challenges include ensuring interoperability across platforms, optimizing large-scale data processing and network latency, unifying encryption and authentication for user data, enhancing scalability, and establishing standards across disparate systems.

What Are the Benefits of Adopting Open Protocols in the Metaverse?

Open protocols encourage innovation and collaboration, enhance interoperability between platforms, and allow users to move assets freely. This stimulates competition, improves service quality, and lowers fees.

What Efforts Exist to Standardize Open Protocols in the Metaverse?

Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is working to standardize the metaverse from the perspectives of user convenience, business models, and societal impact. Legal, economic, technological, and security experts are collaborating to set unified standards for technical issues like avatar specifications and data interoperability.

How Do Open Protocols Improve the Metaverse User Experience?

Open protocols foster innovation and collaboration among users, enabling richer content and services. Enhanced compatibility and scalability increase user freedom, while seamless interoperability delivers a more complete metaverse experience.