Neal Stephenson’s LAMINA1 to Reimagine the Open Metaverse with New Layer 1 Built on Avalanche

Avalanche

LAMINA1, the blockchain-based solution built to empower metaverse content creation and development, will be launching a highly performant Layer 1 blockchain on Avalanche. The platform, which has been in development since June 2022 will serve as the interface to an open internet; a seamlessly integrated suite of tools and protocols powered by L1 and built on the Avalanche consensus.

LAMINA1 was founded by a trio of visionaries: futurist and celebrated author Neal Stephenson (who coined the term “metaverse” in the novel Snowcrash), technologist and investor Peter Vessenes, and immersive entertainment executive Rebecca Barkin.

“We founded LAMINA1 because we would like to see the Metaverse develop in a way that’s open, decentralized, and welcoming for creators,” said Neal Stephenson. “In order to have a Metaverse that millions of people visit and use, we’ll need experiences there that people enjoy having. That starts with building creator support into the system from the ground up. We’ve found a partner that’s aligned with that vision and that has the engineering heft to realize it.”

Since its inception, LAMINA1 has been focused on enabling an interconnected world of rich, digital experiences where creators and individuals can enjoy privacy and prosperity as they move through it –– using blockchain as its underlying infrastructure. So far, nearly 50,000 people have participated in its Testnet and Betanet, laying the groundwork for current and upcoming features such as:

Interoperable ecosystem built on Avalanche consensus
Specialized subnets for Premium Creator Features: Identity, Assets, Storage
Fluid digital identity unified across platforms
Intuitive tools for creators of all kinds to build cross-platform experiences
Game Engine/Web SDKs & Editor plug-ins for developers
Consumer-grade user experience, interface, and design

Meanwhile, Avalanche has quickly gained traction for its blazing transaction speeds, customizability, and nearly infinitely-scalable architecture. The platform's Subnet model also provides unmatched composability and options for blockchain networks and builders. As such, Avalanche provides an ideal ‘Layer 0’ base for optimizing and scaling any blockchain, including the metaverse-specific infrastructure LAMINA1 is developing.

Over the next few months, teams at Ava Labs and LAMINA1 will bring a version of its creator-first platform to the Avalanche network and ecosystem. This integration will be custom-built for seamlessly onboarding metaverse creators and developers to create on-chain apps and Spaces, with the aim of expanding Avalanche’s existing creator ecosystem across indie gaming, music, film, fashion, art, and tastemaker experiences. Ava Labs will provide critical tech and other support to the LAMINA1 team as it continues to build on Avalanche.

"Since day one, Peter, Neal, and I have had tremendous respect for Avalanche and the team at Ava Labs –– not just their core technology, but their business acumen, their focus on building long term value, and their first-class developer support, which is a critical aspect of onboarding new content creators and keeping them,” said LAMINA1 Co-Founder & CEO Rebecca Barkin. “With our expertise in consumer design and content development, and their commitment to scale, speed, reliability at the Consensus layer, we’re aiming for great acceleration. Together, we can empower creators to lay down the stepping stones to an interconnected and open metaverse."

“The partnership between LAMINA1 and Ava Labs is a major step forward in building the open metaverse," said John Nahas, Vice President of Business Development, Ava Labs. "LAMINA1’s vision of a creator-first metaverse aligns perfectly with our commitment to providing developers and users with the tools and infrastructure they need to build the next generation of Web3 applications. We are excited to collaborate with LAMINA1 to bring this vision to life and to empower creators to build the metaverse they want to see.”

Keep up with what LAMINA1 is building on Avalanche by joining the LAMINA1 and Avalanche Discord communities.

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About LAMINA1

LAMINA1 is a blockchain optimized for the open metaverse, providing builders and creators a flexible framework for a better online future. The organization was founded in June 2022 by renowned author and futurist Neal Stephenson, who originated the term “metaverse” in his 1992 novel Snow Crash, technologist and investor Peter Vessenes, digital currency expert and founder of the first venture-backed Bitcoin company, and immersive entertainment executive Rebecca Barkin.

Its mission is to deliver the infrastructure, API, and tooling needed to empower a vibrant, global community of open metaverse creators — championing the development of a robust, performant and interoperable ecosystem that gives builders and consumers more agency and ownership in the next online era.

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About Ava Labs

Ava Labs makes it simple to deploy high-performance solutions for Web3, led by innovations on Avalanche. The company was founded by Cornell computer scientists, who partnered with Wall Street veterans and early Web3 leaders to execute a promising vision for redefining the way people build and use open, permissionless networks. Ava Labs is redefining the way people create value with Web3.

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About Avalanche

Avalanche is a smart contracts platform that scales infinitely and regularly finalizes transactions in less than one second. Its novel consensus protocol, Subnet infrastructure, and HyperSDK toolkit enable Web3 developers to easily launch powerful, custom blockchain solutions. Build anything you want, any way you want, on the eco-friendly blockchain designed for Web3 devs.