Physical and digital worlds: implications and opportunities of the metaverse

The Metaverse is revolutionizing the world of the internet. It is the new "virtual"universe capable of going beyond the pure three-dimensional and immersive dimension combining the physical and digital worlds. The metaverse, which until recently was an abstract concept, is now assuming great importance and attracting the attention of consumers, investors, brands, and large global players. Certainly, the first sector to adapt to this new immersive reality is e-commerce. Obviously, e-commerce is not the only sector affected by this digital revolution. Interoperability and interconnection will revolutionize current business models. Although the business opportunities seem endless, the scenario is still not entirely clear. Thus, the aim of the present research is to provide an overview on the state of the art, technologies, applications, and challenges of metaverse. Ethical and social implications are also analized. The result is a first detailed scenario analysis on the Metaverse.