bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid

Xinmei Shen

A new non-fungible token (NFT) project started in Hong Kong is encouraging people to invest in shares of expensive virtual land created in the metaverse, as increased interest in these digital assets contrasts with recent warnings about their potential risks in a city where regulators remain slow to act.
The Metaworld Development project aims to sell 2,000 NFTs in the form of “keys” with different designs. Each NFT key represents a percentage ownership of the project’s total portfolio of virtual land, which the team will buy from popular metaverse platforms The Sandbox and Decentraland.
To appeal to the mass market, Metaworld’s NFTs will be “priced very affordably to promote fractional investing”, said one of the project’s co-founders, who asked to be identified by the pseudonym KeyKreator. It will be “an easy vehicle to invest in metaverse directly”, according to the project’s website.
The Metaworld team’s strategy for managing its virtual land portfolio include trading these digital properties, renting them to major brands and then distributing the capital gains back to holders of the NFTs, according to the project’s website.

NFTs, digital assets whose ownership and uniqueness are verified by blockchains, have become mainstream around the world, with people snapping up digital artworks and cartoon avatars for millions of dollars.
The metaverse – a concept that refers to an imagined immersive virtual world, where digital representations of people can interact with each other like they do in real life – has also taken off in the past year, propelling an investment frenzy. NFTs are expected to drive the metaverse economy.
Metaworld reflects the growing creativity in monetising NFTs and metaverse-related projects in Hong Kong, where recent initiatives mostly involved collections of cartoon avatars.
The team behind Metaworld, however, wants to somehow distance themselves from offering an investment product. Providers of securities in the city would need to obtain a licence from the Securities and Futures Commission, or limit participants in a fund to professional investors.
Metaverse hype fuels booming digital property market
“You could draw parallels between our objective to what you would define as a traditional security or fund,” said another Metaworld co-founder, who asked to be identified as Merchitect. “But we are not an investment fund or a security of any kind. We are an investment-focused NFT project.”
While there is currently no known major property developer from Hong Kong or mainland China that has ventured into NFTs, Adrian Cheng Chi-kong, the third-generation scion of conglomerate New World Development, added virtual real estate to his growing investments in December. In his personal capacity, Cheng invested in The Sandbox, which offers virtual real estate called Land NFTs. Hong Kong developer Sun Hung Kai & Co. has invested in The Sandbox and bought virtual lands on the platform.
In the past 30 days, virtual land on The Sandbox sold at an average price of US$10,854, according to market tracker Nonfungible.com.


Although NFTs are not inherently securities, the line could become blurry as the community promoting these digital tokens comes up with more creative business models, according to Charles To, a partner at law firm Ellalan in Hong Kong.
Under the city’s Securities and Futures Ordinance, “securities” have a very broad scope and would include any “interests in any collective investment scheme”, To said.
“If an NFT represents fractional ownership of other assets, whether virtual or physical, there is a high chance that such NFTs would constitute a security, especially if the fractional NFT holder does not have day-to-day control over the management of the asset,” he said.
Hong Kong watchdog warns of NFT, metaverse risks as phishing scams increase
Metaworld’s new project comes as risks involving NFTs and the metaverse have been singled out as major security threats to look out for in the city in 2022, according to the government-run cybersecurity watchdog Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre.
The team behind Metaworld said that the project ensures transparency by having its cryptocurrency wallet address visible on the blockchain for people to track. Metaworld will also publish quarterly valuation statements on their virtual land portfolio.
The total size of virtual land that the project will manage depends on the amount of money they raise from the sale of NFTs, according to Metaworld’s co-founders, who declined to reveal their identities. While anonymity is common practice among cryptocurrency and NFT circles around the world, this is drawing more scrutiny, as investments in these digital assets become more mainstream.
Metaworld’s core team consists of “seasoned investment professionals”, with a combined experience of more than 15 years working across global leading financial institutions, according to the project’s white paper, which also covered its investment strategy and virtual land market data.


Tired of real-world property investments? New Hong Kong NFT project sells shares of virtual land in the metaverse

Metaworld Development, a new non-fungible token project in Hong Kong, aims to sell 2,000 NFTs in the form of “keys”, each representing an owner’s percentage share of its virtual land portfolio. Illustration: Shutterstock

Metaworld Development’s NFT “keys” have seven design tiers, each of which represents an owner’s percentage share of the project’s total virtual land portfolio. Photo: Handout

Tech

Tech Trends

Business

China Business

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China

Money & Wealth

Hong Kong

Hong Kong Economy


The Metaworld Development project’s virtual land portfolio will be acquired from popular metaverse platforms The Sandbox and Decentraland
To appeal to the mass market, Metaworld’s NFTs will be ‘priced very affordably to promote fractional investing’, according to a co-founder



The Metaworld Development project’s virtual land portfolio will be acquired from popular metaverse platforms The Sandbox and Decentraland.


Tired of real-world property investments? New Hong Kong NFT project sells shares of virtual land in the metaverse

The Metaworld Development project’s virtual land portfolio will be acquired from popular metaverse platforms The Sandbox and Decentraland To appeal to the mass market, Metaworld’s NFTs will be ‘priced very affordably to promote fractional investing’, according to a co-founder

The Metaworld Development project’s virtual land portfolio will be acquired from popular metaverse platforms The Sandbox and Decentraland

To appeal to the mass market, Metaworld’s NFTs will be ‘priced very affordably to promote fractional investing’, according to a co-founder