Analysts at %Citigroup ($C) have forecast that the total market for the %MetaverseEconomy could be worth $13 trillion U.S. by 2030.
In addition, the global bank forecasts that the number of people using the metaverse could top five billion by the end of the decade.
The 184-page report on the metaverse from Citigroup explores various aspects of the digital realm that is largely theoretical at this point, including its infrastructure, digital assets such as non-fungible tokens (%NFTs), money and decentralized finance, as well as likely regulatory developments.
Regarding the size of the metaverse economy, Citigroup says “We believe the metaverse may be the next generation of the internet — combining the physical and digital world in a persistent and immersive manner — and not purely a virtual reality world.”
Citi also wrote that: “We estimate the total addressable market for the metaverse economy could grow to between $8 trillion and $13 trillion by 2030.”
The report also says that “The metaverse of the future would encompass more digitally-native tokens but traditional forms of money would also be embedded.”
Despite its bullish outlook for the metaverse, Citigroup also warned that the metaverse will likely attract scrutiny from global regulators and policymakers.
“All the challenges of the %Web2Internet could be magnified in the metaverse, such as content moderation, free speech, and privacy,” reads the report.
Additionally, a blockchain-based metaverse will most likely run into still evolving laws around %Cryptocurrencies and decentralized finance in many jurisdictions around the world.
In January of this year, U.S. investment bank %GoldmanSachs ($GS) said that the metaverse could be an $8 trillion opportunity. Another investment bank, %MorganStanley ($MS), predicted the same size for the metaverse last November.