Is Governance the Key to the Metaverse?

Bridget Lively, an information technology consultant, was intrigued by new ideas involving potential applications of “markets” to societal problems. An avid Wikipedia editor and previously very active in developing Linux open-source software, Lively imagined applying market principles to a metaverse in such a way that it would be decentralized, open, inclusive, and democratic. As her head spun with the possibilities and challenges of creating a truly utopian online world, she sought the advice of MBA students. This case is taught at Darden in the second-year elective, “Creating Value in the Metaverse”; it would also be suitable in a broader course on technology and economics.