Report: Meta Will Incorporate NFTs Into Ambitious Metaverse Plans

Two sources familiar with the matter told The Financial Times that Meta has discussed launching an NFT marketplace

article-image

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg; Source: Shutterstock

share
  • That would make Meta the first major non-crypto company to integrate an NFT marketplace
  • +Other social media platforms are keying in on NFTs, such as Twitter, which launched a profile-picture service on Thursday

Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has made plans to dive into the world of non-fungible tokens, the Financial Times reported Thursday. 

Two sources familiar with the matter told the FT that Meta has discussed launching an NFT marketplace, where users can buy and sell the blockchain-based collectibles. Instagram and Facebook, additionally, are said to be developing a feature to allow users to showcase NFTs on their profiles. 

Twitter on Thursday rolled out an NFT profile-picture feature for subscribers to its premium offering. 

Per the FT, the plans are “fast-developing” — describing efforts as “early stage” and “could yet change.” Meta did not immediately respond to Blockworks request for comment. 

“In the coming years, I expect people will transition from seeing us primarily as a social media company to seeing us as a metaverse company,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during an earnings call in the second quarter  of 2021. 

Meta’s spending last year alone of augmented and virtual reality research was projected to top $10 billion, and analysts predict that Meta will spend $60 billion to carry out its metaverse vision. 

Although other trillion-dollar Web2 companies like Microsoft and billion-dollar companies such as Fortnight developer Epic Games have jumped on the metaverse bandwagon, experts say their Web3 integrations are still a ways off. 

According to Web3 startup Unstoppable Domains founder Matthew Gould, a true metaverse can’t exist without combining crypto and big tech company inventions like VR and AR. 

“It’s actually the intersection of these two worlds where you can create the metaverse,” Gould told Blockworks. “I think fundamentally you’re not going to have the adoption of the metaverse without the concurrent adoption of crypto.”

Colin Fitzpatrick, founder and CEO of Animal Concerts, an NFT startup focused on virtual concerts in the metaverse, told Blockworks that the prospects of the company getting into NFTs “are highly likely,” but holders of the digital assets should be careful when using Meta. 

“The responsibility will fall on the NFT community’s shoulders to make sure Meta behaves fairly and doesn’t try to monopolize profits and what is supposed to be a democratic industry,”  Fitzpatrick said.

Meta Platforms Inc. (FB) traded 1.2% higher to $323.46 per share following the news.

Correction (Jan. 20, 20:58 UTC): Article previously stated Apple is involved with metaverse development. The company has said it would not utilize its MR headset for the metaverse.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Research Report Templates.png

Research

EtherFi, the largest liquid restaking protocol, is repositioning itself as a consumer-facing crypto neobank. Beyond staking, it is building a revenue mix around cards, vaults, and trading, aiming to capture sustainable front-end economics in DeFi. The shift highlights EtherFi’s ambition to expand from infrastructure into a full financial platform.

article-image

Legion’s reputation-based fundraising will expand through Kraken Launch, offering compliant and transparent token sales to global investors

by Blockworks /
article-image

Blockchain protocol introduces XPL token and zero-fee transfers as it targets global stablecoin adoption

by Blockworks /
article-image

With rate cuts priced in and deeper liquidity, it’s not surprising to see certain speculative assets getting a bid

article-image

Lending giant is moving to ERC‑4626 share accounting and preparing to shutter underperforming networks, with 86% of revenue on Ethereum mainnet

article-image

The payments firm introduces a USDC-based app on Stellar, aiming to modernize remittances in volatile currency markets

by Blockworks /
article-image

MarginFi fixed a flaw that could have let attackers borrow funds without repayment

by Blockworks /