Photo Credit: Phoenix Business Journal
Much has been said about the future of technology, and questions about where we go from here. The metaverse is considered by many to be the future of tech; essentially virtual or augmented reality spaces where you can meet up with friends like you would have in message boards in the ‘90’s and social media today. A local law firm sees a real future in it, and is demonstrating as such by having the first wedding in the metaverse.
The Rose Law Group held the renewal of the wedding nuptials of attorney Ryan Hurley and his wife Candice recently. It was the first event of its kind in the United States, and was attended by around 2,000 people, many of whom the couple didn’t know. They were surely driven by curiosity over such a unique event.
Attendees received a Non-Fungible Token, or NFT, of the Hurley’s dog. NFTs are another offshoot of the “new internet”, blockchain-supported and unique art that often doubles as a store of value and a collectible amongst technological early adopters.
The Rose Law Group is no stranger to being on the forefront of new ideas: they were on the forefront of solar law when renewable energy exploded, have a marijuana-based practice as cannabis started becoming legal across the country, and also have a cryptocurrency and blockchain practice. The metaverse is simply another example of their forward-thinking mantra.
The metaverse has exploded in interest recently, most notably represented by Facebook’s major shift. As you likely know, they changed their name to Meta as part of a concerted effort to pivot away from more traditional social media and towards this new technological forefront. Meta recently announced that Facebook user numbers dropped in the last quarter (causing the stock to drop by around 25%), further exacerbating their need to move into this new space quickly.
The jury is still out on how useful the larger public will consider the metaverse and how widely it will be adopted. That said, any new endeavor needs visionaries to embrace it and normalize it. It needs firms like the Rose Law Group and individuals like the Hurleys to pave the way for the rest of us. Kudos to them for looking ahead and taking chances.