Patrick Rivera (p.mirror.xyz, @patrickxrivera) recently unveiled a project named “The World’s Largest” (check their website and Twitter). Their inaugural release was on October 3rd, 2023.

The debut featured an animated trailer, unabashedly laden with provocative imagery and bold catchphrases. A memorable line is, “The world is a fucked up place, but it’s a beautiful day to buy an NFT.” The audacity resonates with the increasingly bizarre spirit of the times.

For a 24-hour window, enthusiasts could mint specific frames from the video at $1 per frame, with the added cost of the mainnet gas fee. An impressive 50,000 frames found takers, culminating in an on-chain revenue of $57,800. The total amount was then transferred to a single NFT holder randomly selected via a smart contract function aptly called mrBeastMode.

On OpenSea, TWL aligned itself with “Virtual Worlds”—a segment typically earmarked for metaverse-centric endeavors. Following the announcement, the project's Twitter followership saw an massive uptick to 10,000 accounts, signifying the trailer's ability to pique curiosity.

While the trailer's content was likely divisive, the overall public sentiment seemed to lean favorably. Could it be that the project infused a new dose of excitement into web3, especially during an otherwise somber bear market phase?

What's next for TWL?

My perspective on this is unbiased. I've collaborated with Patrick at two startups—Dharma and Mirror—and had a hand in coding and rolling out the contracts for the TWL trailer mint. While admittedly the audacious tone of the trailer treads beyond my comfort, my curiosity is piqued—and that's its genius. The question now is: What narrative trajectory will this universe adopt, and how will onchain community engagement augment the experience?

To me, the allure of on-chain community building is its power to assemble like-minded individuals. Leveraging crypto offers these communities a structured foundation, empowering them to crowdfund initiatives they're passionate about. The question is what does TWL stand for, and how will it harness the attention it garnered this week?

Going forward, I envision TWL delving deeper into the confluence of virtual worlds, gaming, and the myriad possibilities offered by smart contracts. The project's inherent creativity could potentially push the boundaries of what we’ve seen with the tech, marking its niche as a fascinating art endeavor.