How to Understand Visa, Meta, Aoki and Messi in the Metaverse

The short version: these names entered the metaverse conversation through different activities, not one shared virtual world. Visa bought a CryptoPunk NFT; Facebook renamed itself Meta and made the metaverse a major corporate focus; Steve Aoki and Lionel Messi were associated with separate celebrity-led digital-collectible projects.

That distinction matters if you are trying to work out whether an old announcement means you can still enter a world, claim a reward or buy an asset with a particular benefit. An NFT can be a collectible token without being a ticket to an operating game or virtual space. A company’s metaverse strategy also does not mean it endorses every project using the term.

In 2026, treat the announcements as historical context. Before spending money, confirm that the specific product still operates, that its official team controls the channels and contracts you are using, and that any promised access or utility is stated in current terms. Celebrity involvement and brand recognition are not substitutes for those checks.

The main wave of attention came in 2021, when NFTs and virtual worlds became prominent in mainstream business and entertainment news. The names in this topic were attached to different kinds of activity:

Name	What the move represented	What it did not establish
Visa	A purchase of a CryptoPunk collectible	A consumer metaverse service or investment offer
Facebook/Meta	A corporate shift toward metaverse products and branding	A guarantee that every planned product would launch or remain available
Steve Aoki	Celebrity participation in digital collectibles and Web3 communities	A promise that collectibles would rise in value
Lionel Messi	A branded digital-collectible release	Proof of a permanent virtual world or ongoing utility

The word “metaverse” was often used broadly in that period. It could refer to a 3D virtual environment, a game, a collection of NFTs, or a company’s long-term vision for online social experiences. Those are not interchangeable.

When you see a headline grouping famous people and companies together, ask what each one actually did. A purchase, a product strategy and a collectible drop carry different risks and do not necessarily connect to one another.

Visa’s widely reported move was buying CryptoPunk #7610 in August 2021. The purchase was reported at 49.5 ETH, worth about $150,000 at the time. CryptoPunks are pixel-art NFTs; buying one is not the same as building a virtual world or issuing a general invitation for customers to join one.

The purchase signalled that a major payments company was paying attention to blockchain-based collectibles. It did not make Visa the creator of CryptoPunks, guarantee the NFT’s future resale price or mean Visa would cover losses for other buyers. Nor should it be read as a recommendation to purchase a similar token.

If you are evaluating a collectible connected to a brand, check the token’s exact contract and the rights attached to it. Ask whether you are buying the token itself, a licence to use an image, event access or a separate membership. Read what happens if the issuer closes a service or changes its terms. The token may remain visible on a blockchain even when an associated website, community or benefit is no longer available.

Facebook announced its new corporate name, Meta, in October 2021 and put the metaverse at the centre of its public strategy. The company’s vision covered virtual and augmented reality, social interaction and digital experiences. This was a corporate direction, not a single NFT project that users could buy into.

A company announcement is not proof that every proposed feature will be released, remain available or work with unrelated blockchain assets. Products and priorities can change, and a branded virtual experience may use accounts, hardware or payment systems that have nothing to do with a public blockchain.

If you are considering a virtual-world product connected to a large technology company, identify the actual product and its current terms rather than relying on a 2021 headline. Check what hardware and account you need, what data is collected, whether purchases are refundable, and whether items can be transferred outside the service. If an NFT is involved, separately verify its contract and the rights it grants. Do not assume that a company-wide metaverse strategy guarantees interoperability or ownership of every digital item you see in its world.

Steve Aoki was one of several musicians and entertainers who explored NFTs and Web3 communities. His involvement helped bring attention to digital collectibles and membership-style experiences. Those activities should be assessed project by project: a performer’s name on a collection does not by itself tell you who operates it, what holders receive or how long those benefits last.

For a celebrity-linked collectible, look for clear answers to these questions before connecting a wallet or paying:

1. Is the release being promoted through a channel you can independently verify as official?
2. Does the project explain whether the token is art, access, a membership or something else?
3. Are supply, price, resale rules and any ongoing costs stated plainly?
4. Is there a working service today, and what happens if it shuts down?

A community or membership may depend on a company’s website, staff and moderation even when the NFT is stored on a blockchain. Blockchain persistence does not guarantee that an online service, promised event or community benefit will continue. Avoid treating scarcity or celebrity promotion as evidence that you can resell at a profit.

Lionel Messi was associated with the Messiverse digital-collectible release, created with digital artist BossLogic and released through Ethernity. It was a branded collectible project, not evidence that Messi and the other names in this topic were building one shared metaverse. A themed NFT release can use the language of virtual worlds without providing a persistent 3D environment.

Before paying for any Messi-branded or other celebrity NFT, distinguish the artwork from its token and from any extra benefits. Read the project’s current terms to find out whether you receive a licence to display an image, access to a community or a particular experience. Do not assume commercial rights, guaranteed events or access to a game unless the terms explicitly grant them.

For an older release, also check whether the original issuer still supports its benefits and whether the token is transferable. An NFT may still be recorded on its blockchain after a related site or promotion has ended. That can leave you owning a token without the service or utility you expected. Never share a seed phrase to claim a collectible or supposed reward.

Celebrity NFTs and metaverse announcements are often discussed together, but they describe different things. Use these distinctions when you evaluate a project:

• NFT: a token recorded on a blockchain. It may represent art, access or another claim, depending on its terms.
• Virtual world: software where people interact in a digital environment. It may not use NFTs or crypto at all.
• Metaverse strategy: a company’s plan or positioning. It is not necessarily a product you can use today.
• Brand partnership: a stated relationship between organisations. A famous person’s name or image alone does not prove an endorsement or partnership.

A token’s public record can help you check its transaction history, but it does not verify every marketing claim. The project still needs to explain who controls its service, how access works and what rights a buyer receives. If the team does not clearly publish those details, do not fill the gaps with assumptions.

Also separate historical news from current availability. A 2021 announcement may explain why a project received attention, but it cannot establish its 2026 operating status, price or utility. Check the specific product’s current official materials before you act.

Use this checklist before you buy a metaverse-related collectible, join a token-gated community or connect a wallet:

• Confirm the identity: verify the project through official channels you reach independently. Look for impersonators and fake claim pages.
• Understand the purchase: check the item’s price, network, marketplace charges and any later transaction costs. Fees can change; confirm them before signing.
• Read the rights: establish whether you get artwork, access, a licence or a time-limited benefit. Do not infer rights from a name or image.
• Check the technology: inspect the correct contract and wallet permissions. Avoid signing transactions you cannot understand, and never disclose your recovery phrase.
• Test the practical value: confirm the service is operating and that you can access it with the account or device you have.
• Plan for failure: consider what you would own if the issuer shut down, benefits ended or resale demand disappeared.

Avoid buying solely because a celebrity, payment brand or large technology company appeared in an old headline. Do not mistake a high-profile purchase for a price floor or a promise of future utility. If the project’s current costs, rights or operating status are unclear, pause rather than relying on a promotional claim.