Futureverse’s co-founder: "If you’re not in the metaverse already, you’re probably not part of society"

Aaron McDonald’s journey mirrors that of a modern tech visionary. Beginning in telecommunications and cloud computing, he moved into venture capitalism, helping startups but feeling like a spectator. This unease pushed him toward entrepreneurship, and in 2016, he found his passion in Web3.

“Ethereum caught my attention,” Aaron says. “Building decentralized, community-owned applications wasn’t just technological—it was philosophical.” A pivotal chat with a Swiss lawyer and early Ethereum contributor sealed his direction. “It felt like fate. Suddenly, I had a guide into this world.”

That moment led Aaron to “Crypto Valley,” where he immersed himself in the ecosystem and laid the foundation for Futureverse—one of the leaders in revolutionary AI and metaverse technologies that enable open, scalable, and interoperable apps, games, and experiences.

To date, Futureverse has created innovative experiences in collaboration with renowned organizations, including Warner Brothers, FIFA, Mastercard, Authentic Brands Group, Reebok, and Muhammad Ali. Most recently, the company launched Readyverse Studios, exclusively bringing the Ready Player One franchise to the metaverse within Web3.

The Spotlight is a series of exclusive interviews between AmberBlocks and industry leaders, diving into the hottest topics in the market.

- Futureverse is known for merging 11 companies into one cohesive entity. That sounds like a Herculean task. How did it come about?

Aaron McDonald: Honestly, don’t try it at home! (laughs). We’d built a venture ecosystem where these companies solved problems for one another—a symbiotic relationship of tech and customers. Then came the moment when some private equity firms suggested we “roll up” the smaller companies to form a larger entity with the potential for exponential growth.

It was a bold idea, but it aligned with our thinking. The process wasn’t without its challenges—bringing together different technologies, cultures, and goals took a lot of effort. But it was worth it.

And that’s how Futureverse came to life.

- There’s a lot of talk about “metaverse” being overhyped. How does Futureverse define it?

Aaron McDonald: We like to say, “There is not a metaverse; there is only the metaverse.” It’s not a singular application but a collection of interoperable games, apps, and experiences built on user-owned content rails. At Futureverse, we focus on creating the interoperability and content creation technologies that let anyone build connected experiences.

Instead of shoving everything into one world, we’re building connective layers of data that can exist across multiple worlds and applications. If we imagine the metaverse as a single app, it’s just a video game—and we’ve had those for decades—I should know; I’m old! (laughs). What’s new is this emerging immersive internet, as interoperable as browsers make the web today. That’s the metaverse we’re building.

- AI is central to Futureverse’s vision. How do you integrate AI with Web3?

Aaron McDonald: We think AI and the metaverse are like brother and sister. I gave a talk at the Morgan Stanley China summit recently. My opening slide—and this was kind of at the beginning of the hype around AI, while the metaverse hype had cooled down—said, "The metaverse is dead. Long live AI." It was a tongue-in-cheek way to make a point.

The reality is, all this new AI technology actually helps us create the metaverse. Anyways, the metaverse already exists. It’s not some far-off concept—it’s part of the world we live in. Humans are already spending 40 to 50 years of their lives looking at screens. If you’re not in the metaverse already, you’re probably not part of society.

AI enables more realistic and immersive content creation and allows anyone, not just game developers, to build this kind of content. It democratizes the ability to create the metaverse, which has been the missing ingredient during the last hype cycle.

Everyone got the idea—yes, the internet should be more immersive because browsers feel ancient—but no one had the tools to make that accessible to everyone.

AI democratizes the ability to create the metaverse, which has been the missing ingredient during the last hype cycle

Every time the internet has evolved, it’s been because tools made it easier for everyday people to create content. Tools made it easy to create websites, and suddenly everyone had one.

Social media allowed anyone to become a publisher, and now everyone’s a media company. Mobile app tools meant millions of apps were created. AI is now the democratization tool for the metaverse.

Take Nvidia as an example. It’s a company that builds hardware to render metaverse environments, play metaverse experiences, train virtual agents, and create models that generate immersive content. Nvidia isn’t just a hardware company—it’s a metaverse company.

- Futureverse integrates AI into its metaverse vision. How do you see AI shaping this space?

Aaron McDonald: We decided early on that AI and the metaverse go hand in hand. So, we built capabilities on both sides—AI and metaverse technologies. Our focus was threefold. First, we created protocols that allow users to own AI agents and enable these agents to interoperate across various applications.

Second, we developed a layer where these agents can store data, building a shared simulation world that anyone can use to create applications. Finally, tools like Jen AI and Altered State Machine empower creators to generate content and build immersive worlds.

You can’t be a true metaverse company without marrying AI and metaverse technologies. AI is a powerful tool for enabling creation within immersive internet experiences. At Futureverse, our superpower is interoperability. From the start, Web3, beginning with Bitcoin, solved the “double-spend” problem.

This breakthrough allowed for the verifiable ownership of digital assets, and we’re extending that principle to immersive content—avatars, games, and more. Until now, ownership often just meant holding a receipt for something stored elsewhere.

Our Universal Blueprint Framework changes that, allowing users to truly own their content and connect it into generative pipelines to build expansive, personal worlds.

- Copyright concerns are often raised when it comes to AI-generated content. How does Futureverse navigate this tricky territory?

Aaron McDonald: At Futureverse, we’ve taken a proactive approach. For example, with Jen, our generative music platform, we’ve taken the time to work directly with copyright owners. We go to musicians, publishers, and labels, explain what we’re doing, show them how they can benefit, and get their agreement to provide training data.

This ensures the AI models are built cleanly, fairly, and transparently. Collaborating with creators not only helps us develop better technology and music but also ensures users aren’t infringing on IP and can genuinely own their creations. Philosophically, Futureverse takes a stance opposite to most others by respecting copyright owners and training our models on licensed or open-source data.

It’s about creating tools that serve everyone—musicians, developers, and end users—without cutting ethical corners.

- Content moderation and safety are critical in the metaverse. How does Futureverse address these issues?

Aaron McDonald: All our tools have moderation built into them because creating a safe space for users is one of the most important aspects of building products in this space. For example, in our collaboration with Reebok, users can go to Instagram, talk to our AI, and share a memory photo. The AI then transforms it into a 3D Reebok shoe, which can be used in interoperable games like Roblox and Fortnite.

That entire process involves moderating what’s ingested—ensuring nothing illegal, unethical, or harmful is sent to the AI—and moderating the output to ensure the generated content also meets those standards. It’s an evolving challenge, much like anything on the internet.

There’s always a back-and-forth between people trying to exploit systems and those working to improve them. However, we’ve built robust content moderation pipelines into our generative processes to address these concerns effectively.

- The Root Network is an integral part of Futureverse’s ecosystem. Can you elaborate on its role and the multiple tokens within it?

Aaron McDonald: The Root Network serves as the glue for interoperability. It allows users to own content and seamlessly connect their digital assets across various applications. It’s designed to simplify onboarding—users can log in with familiar accounts like Apple ID or Google—and support native smart wallets.

The multiple tokens within the ecosystem each serve a specific purpose. For instance, the ROOT token secures the layer-one network. Meanwhile, other tokens, such as those for AI protocols, enable specialized functionalities. This segmentation ensures that each protocol operates efficiently while serving its unique role. It’s a thoughtful structure that ensures sustainability and scalability.

We think of it like this: each token has a job to do, like tools in a toolbox. Having multiple tokens isn’t strange—just look at Solana; they’ve launched a million coins this year alone!

- You often say that technology shouldn’t be “shoved in people’s faces.” How does Futureverse embody this?

Aaron McDonald: Our mantra is “make the technology invisible.” Take our Reebok collaboration, for example. Users can create generative 3D sneakers within Instagram—no blockchain jargon or complex processes. It’s about focusing on fun and ease of use while keeping the tech seamless.

- Let’s talk geography. You’ve worked in New Zealand, but what’s your take on the Web3 and metaverse scene in Asia, particularly Vietnam?

Aaron McDonald: Vietnam is fascinating—a blend of strong developers, gaming culture, and tech-savvy users. These elements make it a unique hotspot for Web3 innovation. New Zealand’s scene, while growing, is smaller in scale. That said, our government’s regulatory framework and support for startups make it an excellent base for innovation.

- What types of applications or innovations do you think will drive mass crypto adoption in the future?

Aaron McDonald: We’ve been pretty set on the idea that gaming and community building in large-scale communities will be powerful onboarding tools for Web3. If you can make it fun and offer something truly different—something people haven’t been able to do before—then they’ll want to engage.

And unlike other areas, gaming doesn’t come with the same headaches, hurdles, and regulations. It’s a simpler way to let people experience the benefits of this technology firsthand.

Working with brands that have IP people love, or sports teams and franchises with passionate communities, we can give them something fresh—new kinds of content and experiences that add value. This approach is an effective way to onboard the next billion users into Web3.

Half the world plays video games—around 3.5 billion people—so if we can give them a better, more fun experience where they truly own the things they create, build, and buy, why would they choose anything else?

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