Facebook's metaverse gamble backfires
Buterin's comments come after shares of Meta (formerly known as Facebook) plunged 25% lower on Thursday after the company reported a disappointing set of quarterly results. The tech company reported a second consecutive quarterly revenue decline, and it is now on track to record yet another drop during the fourth quarter.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg's personal fortune collapsed by more than $11 billion in a single day.
While the whole sector suffered from losses in 2022 due to unfavorable macro conditions, Meta is taking a particularly hard beating due to its wildly expensive bet on the metaverse that some believe has accelerated the company's death spiral.
The company's metaverse unit lost $9.4 billion, and 2023 is on track to be even worse for the company. While Zuckerberg remains "pretty confident" in the company's current direction, investors now view the once $1 trillion company as a complete trainwreck.