Sortium Blockchain Studio is pioneering the Play 2 Earn ecosystem with futuristic concepts, progressive core loops, emergent gameplay, and technological advancements. We talk to their COO Eaven Portillo about whats going on in the Web3 and Metaverse Space also about everyone’s favorite Meta man Mark Zuckerberg. Hope you enjoy.
Eaven Portillo, Co-Founder and COO of Sortium Blockchain Studio
E-Crypto News
1. What are the most common misconceptions people have about web3 technologies?
I think many people confuse a specific token, vaporware whitepaper or a famous rugpull with web3. These are just examples of ideas built on foundational blockchain technology. Most of them remind me of “back in the horse and buggy days” of the snake-oil salesmen that would roll through each town selling their wares to the locals. Just as they used foundation tech (horse+buggy) back then, today is no different. Same snake-oil, different century.It is up to the real projects out there that have actual utility, potential, and opportunity to show the world that web3 is a viable future. People need to understand why the next generation of the internet is web3 which will provide security and validation through true ownership of assets and created content.
2. What are your thoughts concerning big tech and the adoption of web3 technologies?
I think we’re already seeing this. Facebook/Meta with Polygon, sports and entertainment, even industrial/commercial are all now adopting some piece or another of web3 technology. As more and more jump on board the companies that don’t will either convert kicking and screaming or fade away into history.
3. How will web3 technologies help build immersive experiences?
Web3 is just the stage for those creators. It takes forward-facing visionaries and layered technologies at the forefront of the curve to create those immersive experiences on web3 platforms. Everything you see today are just low-fidelity lackluster attempts to capitalize on a hot market. The real innovators will be the ones who look beyond making a quick buck in a bull market.
4. What did Mark Zuckerberg get wrong about the metaverse?
It’s not about what someone got wrong or right, but that he was willing to take a public step towards an undeniable future. The metaverse isn’t and won’t be just one destination. In the physical world, you have your favorite restaurants, coffee shops, night clubs, museums and places to go on adventures. The metaverse will be similar to that.. There will always be the next cool digital spot to pop up that all your friends and family will annoy you about until you experience it for yourself. In a way we’ve already seen the metaverse in mmo games, 4chan, and Reddit as “must see” experiences… The metaverse will provide future digital locales where we can all escape from reality and just enjoy the experience..
5. How will the recent cutbacks at Meta affect web3 adoption?
I mean, there are companies that always gamble on expensive and sometimes custom hardware plays. Carvana, for instance, chose to build physical infrastructure that functions like a parking garage vending machine – which sounded good on paper until executed. Focusing on technology that requires specific hardware is always a risk. That’s why at Sortium we chose to focus on foundational technology that is cross compatible that includes mobile, web, and VR. We never want to leave anyone out of the experience.
6. How will web3 technologies become the game changer everybody is expecting them to be?
The internet was first introduced and used by scientists and researchers to communicate and share data with ease. If you asked people then what the internet could and would be you’d have mixed responses. I’m sure there were forward thinkers at the time who were screaming from the rooftops about what the internet could mean while others just shrugged it off and went about their analog lives. Fast forward to web3 and nothing has changed. There are still the doubters and the early adopters debating the future of a technology we are still building. It will take pioneers with the right mental constructs to show the world what is possible with the latest in foundational technology.
7. How can the gaps that currently exist in the web3 technology adoption process be filled?
As more teams start to adopt and build upon web3 other projects will feel more comfortable with the space and will start to dip their toes into the water as it were. . For me it feels like letting others take the risk first until they know the potential is there. Unfortunately those who get in late may find themselves behind the curve of progress.
8. Please, can you tell us about Sortium Blockchain Studio and the services you guys provide to the web3 industry?
Definitely. Sortium sits at the nexus of many different industries bringing fine art, fashion, entertainment, medical, educational, A.I, simulations, digital twins and so forth together with an underlying technological stack that we conservatively believe is 3-5 years ahead of anything else being developed and/or hypothesized in the market today.
By bringing together A.I./Simulations with the probability and validation of blockchain technology, and an advanced high-fidelity web-based entertainment and game experience engine with native VR/AR support out of the box we are able to digitally transport someone into a fully immersive curated experience.Two of our 3 core verticals are Metaverse-as-a-Service (MaaS) and Metaverse-as-a-Product (MaaP) with our 3rd being Original IP such as our flagship CryptoGeneMetaverse-as-a-Service (MaaS) is where our team of 70+ web3 specialists will create for mainstream / household names to smaller niche focused custom experiencesMetaverse-as-a-Product (MaaP) is for existing teams who want to bootstrap their ideas and save sometimes years of infrastructure, architecture, and development time.. Where instead of trying to optimize the shape of a wheel they are able to work on the actual tread of the tire.
9. How will the metaverse replace Zoom?
I don’t think it will. You will always have a reason to meet someone face to face regardless of if it’s in person or on the internet. That doesn’t mean that some companies won’t adopt “digital standups” if you will, where you are present in your avatar and its only audio communication and while your scrum master is going on about your Jira tickets you haven’t moved you can show off some of your latest bling or wardrobe NFTs.
10. What role do black swan and white swan events such as the COVID-19 pandemic play in web3 technology adoption process?
Adoption. Global events like COVID-19 created an environment where large scale companies had to adapt their technology and training quickly to allow for remote experiences. That global attention slingshot technology forward by several years. Necessity is the mother of invention, or in this case adoption.
11. How has the web3 industry changed since the end of crypto winter in 2018?
Not many people were talking about the Metaverse in 2018! There’s a whole lot more conversation happening in this space with the big players than there was in 2018. With more attention placed on interoperability and adoption, we’re starting to see more interest in the space which will help propel it forward.
12. Are we seeing a shift in technology use with younger people adopting new technologies?
Absolutely, the younger generations take to new technology with great ease, they grew up learning new user interfaces every 6 months to keep up with the latest devices. Many young people are already in metaverses like Minecraft or Roblox, so the jump for them will be easy.
13. What benefits do web3 technologies bring to the table?
Web3 technologies will allow for remote training, immersive learning in rendered locations far from home (like museums or the rainforest) and the ability to explain complex concepts in a tangible way. We will see the technology create genuinely inclusive experiences where users can come “as they are” to the metaverse.
14. How has the internet changed with the emergence of the web3 industry?
There are places where web3 is impacting the internet, but it’s still largely in the internet of transactions. Cryptocurrency has transformed the way we exchange on the internet, but there’s still so much room to grow.
15. How can issues, such as security, fidelity, and trust be addressed in web3 projects?
Each platform will have to address these concerns on their individual projects because every Metaverse will be different.
16. What measures can be taken to ensure user privacy on web3 platforms?
This will take cooperation across platforms and the adoption of some standardization for authentication, and we’re just not there yet. Those conversations are only just starting to happen.
17. How will web3 technologies enable the adoption of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology?
The more steeped in the web3 experiences people are, the more interest they will take in what powers it – tokens and blockchain. I think we’ll see a huge uptick in those technologies as we see more Metaverses created.
18. What are the regulatory measures we are to expect from governments as metaverses take center stage?
This will vary from country to country, but it may take years for governments to understand the inner workings of the technology. Just as it took a long time for GDPR and the CAN-SPAM acts to pass through regulatory bodies, it will be several years before we see official regulation.
19. Mark Zuckerberg wanted to rule the metaverse. Is it possible for a single individual to rule over the metaverse?
No. This is a beauty of the Metaverse, these are individualized experiences and platforms. While there may one day be a universally popular search engine (as Google became) to find metaverses, there will never be one metaverse to rule them all.
20. Where do you think the web3 industry will be in ten years’ time?
It will be a place of creation, inclusion and frankly – fun. I also think it will be a part of our day-to-day work as well, where we take meetings in virtual space and we experience movies and storytelling in a way that feels very personalized.
