BlackRock is bullish on the metaverse: ‘Opportunities are here and now’
Thinkhubstudio

In the last few years, the metaverse has become a high-profile buzzword in the tech space, with Facebook changing its name to Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) and experiencing a bumpy transition to the immersive virtual world. Now, BlackRock, the worldâs largest asset manager, is bullish on the market segment, saying "the investment opportunities are here and now."
The metaverse focuses on a network of virtual worlds that are interconnected through a social linking that is facilitated by the use of virtual and augmented reality. 
In a research note put out on Thursday, BlackRock stated: âAt this juncture, it is much like the internet of the early 1990s or the smartphone of the early 2000s: We expect it is going to be big, and very likely change people's daily lives.â
BlackRock identified "the most immediate opportunity" in players primed to supply "the big internet, software and smartphone companies with the ingredients they need to develop glasses and headsets.â
The asset manager also added: âWe also like companies poised to play a key role in 'building' the metaverse, designing and creating virtual worlds.â
Blackrock didn't provide specific names in its note. But for investors who share Blackrock's bullish stance on the segment, here are a few exchange traded funds that offer diversified exposure to metaverse players: Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF (NYSEARCA:METV), ProShares Metaverse ETF (NYSEARCA:VERS), Subversive Metaverse ETF (BATS:PUNK), and the Fidelity Metaverse ETF (FMET).
Besides META, some high-profile individual players in the space include NVIDIA (NVDA), Roblox (RBLX), Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), Qualcomm (QCOM), Alphabet (GOOG) (GOOGL), Vuzix (VUZI) and eXp World (EXPI).
Meanwhile, headlining the shift of the metaverse is the Mark Zuckerberg-led META. See how the stock has doubled over the past three months and the ETFs that rose alongside the topside move.