How to Buy Decentraland (MANA)
Beginner’s Guide
What Is Decentraland (MANA)?
Decentraland (MANA) is a blockchain-based virtual reality platform where users can create, experience, and monetize content and applications. It was launched in 2017 and is built on the Ethereum blockchain.
In Decentraland, users can create and interact with virtual experiences, games, and applications, as well as buy and sell virtual real estate using MANA tokens. The platform operates using a decentralized, peer-to-peer network, which means that users have full control over their virtual experiences and assets, without the need for intermediaries or central authorities.
One of the key features of Decentraland is its use of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which are unique digital assets that can be bought, sold, and traded on the platform. These NFTs can represent a wide variety of virtual assets, including virtual real estate, 3D models, and other in-game items.
Decentraland’s platform also features a range of tools and resources that allow developers and creators to build and monetize their own virtual experiences, using tools such as the Decentraland SDK and the Decentraland Marketplace.
Overall, Decentraland is a unique and innovative platform that aims to create a new kind of virtual reality experience, where users can own, create, and interact with virtual assets and experiences in a decentralized and permissionless environment. MANA is the native cryptocurrency of the platform, which is used to buy and sell virtual assets and experiences, as well as to reward users for contributing to the platform’s development and growth.
How to Buy Avalanche Summary
- Get a Avalanche wallet (e.g. Ledger, Trezor , Exodus, Guarda, AtomicWallet)
- Find an exchange that sells Avalanche (e.g. Crypto.com, Binance , Coinbase , Bitfinex , Kucoin)
- Deposit money and make the trade
- Withdraw the Avalanche to your wallet
Buying Decentraland in 3 Simple Steps
Step 1 – Get a MANA wallet
Decentraland Hardware Wallets
Decentraland supports the use of hardware wallets for increased security and protection of users’ virtual assets. A hardware wallet is a physical device that securely stores the private keys of a user’s crypto assets.
Some popular hardware wallets that support Decentraland and its native token, MANA, include:
Using a hardware wallet to store Decentraland assets provides several benefits over storing them in a software wallet or on an exchange. Hardware wallets are less vulnerable to hacking and provide enhanced security through the use of a secure element and multi-factor authentication. Additionally, hardware wallets are portable and can be easily carried and used on-the-go, providing greater flexibility and accessibility.
The best option for storing any cryptocurrency would be to use a hardware wallet. These are pieces of hardware that store the private key to your coins offline.
Today, there are two leading hardware manufacturers to choose from – Ledger and TREZOR. Both companies have different models of hardware wallets that will get the job done.
If you want deeper insights on specific models, you can read my Ledger Nano X review or my TREZOR Model T review.
Decentraland Software Wallets
Decentraland (MANA) is an ERC-20 token, which means that it is compatible with a wide range of Ethereum wallets. Here are some popular software wallets that can be used to store and manage MANA:
MyEtherWallet (MEW): MEW is a free, open-source, client-side interface for creating and managing Ethereum wallets. It is a popular choice for storing ERC-20 tokens, including MANA.
MetaMask: MetaMask is a browser extension wallet that can be used with Firefox, Chrome, Brave, and other popular browsers. It is a secure and user-friendly wallet that makes it easy to manage your MANA and other Ethereum-based assets.
Trust Wallet: Trust Wallet is a mobile wallet that is available for both Android and iOS devices. It is a popular choice for storing and managing ERC-20 tokens, including MANA.
Exodus: Exodus is a desktop wallet that can be used to store a range of different cryptocurrencies, including MANA. It is a user-friendly wallet that features a built-in exchange, as well as support for hardware wallets.
Ledger Live: Ledger Live is the official software for managing Ledger hardware wallets. It can also be used as a standalone software wallet for storing and managing MANA and other ERC-20 tokens.
It is important to note that when using software wallets, it is crucial to keep your private keys safe and secure. Always remember to back up your wallet and keep your private keys in a safe place, such as a hardware wallet or a secure offline storage device.
Hardware wallets cost money, so if you’re not sure how serious you are about cryptocurrencies and just want to get a taste of what they feel like, perhaps you would be better off starting with a software wallet.
A software wallet is a free program that lets you store your coins on your computer or mobile phone.
The easiest Decentraland coin software wallets to get started with are undoubtedly Exodus, AtomicWallet and Guarda . All wallets are very intuitive. Exodus, Atomic Wallet and Guarda is available on desktop for Windows, Mac and Linux, as well as on mobile for both iOS and Android. If you want more information you can read my Exodus, AtomicWallet and Guarda review.
Step 2 – Find an Decentraland (MANA) Exchange
Buy Decentraland through Crypto.com
- Crypto.com is a cryptocurrency exchange company based in Singapore. As of May 2022, the company reportedly had 50 million customers and 4,000 employees. The exchange issues a token, Cronos. The company was initially founded in Hong Kong by Bobby Bao, Gary Or, Kris Marszalek, and Rafael Melo in 2016 as “Monaco”. In 2018, the company was renamed as Crypto.com following a purchase of a domain owned by cryptography researcher and professor Matt Blaze. Domain sellers valued the domain at US$5–10 million.
Buy Decentraland through Binance
- Binance is a cryptocurrency exchange which is the largest exchange in the world in terms of daily trading volume of cryptocurrencies. It was founded in 2017 and is registered in the Cayman Islands. Binance was founded by Changpeng Zhao, a developer who had previously created high frequency trading software.
Buy Decentraland through Coinbase
- Coinbase is a convenient and cheap way to buy Ethereum and the platform is open to 200+ countries). Coinbase will sell you CRO for a variable fee that depends on your payment method (credit cards have a higher fee than wire transfers), order size and market volatility. Here’s how you buy Ethereum on Coinbase: Open a Coinbase account Add your payment method (Credit card or bank account) Go to “Buy/Sell” and select the amount of Ethereum you desire Click “Buy Cronos”
Buy Decentraland through Bitfinex
- Bitfinex is a cryptocurrency exchange owned and operated by iFinex Inc registered in the British Virgin Islands.Their customers’ money has been stolen or lost in several incidents, and they have been unable to secure normal banking relationships. Bitfinex was founded in December 2012 as a peer-to-peer Bitcoin exchange, offering digital asset trading services to users around the world. Bitfinex initially started as a P2P margin lending platform for Bitcoin and later added support for more cryptocurrencies.
Buy Decentraland through Kucoin
- Kucoin is a global cryptocurrency exchange for numerous digital assets and cryptocurrencies. Launched in September 2017, KuCoin has grown into one of the most popular crypto exchanges and already has over 8 million registered users from 700+ countries and regions. According to Alexa traffic ranking, KuCoin’s monthly unique ranking is in the top 5 globally. Known as the “People’s Exchange”, KuCoin operates in Seychelles, providing users with multi-language and 24/7 customer service. Meanwhile, KuCoin has established local communities all over the world in South Korea, Japan, Spain, Italy, Vietnam, Turkey, Russia, India, and other regions, providing users with the most local services. Currently, 1 out of every 4 crypto holders in the world is with KuCoin.
Step 3 – Withdraw Your Decentraland (MANA)
Once you decide on an exchange, open an account and buy your Avalanche. Make sure to withdraw the Avalanche from the exchange to your personal wallet.
Never leave coins on an exchange, as you risk losing them all if that exchange gets hacked or shuts down (which has happened in the past) and always double check address before send coins because you can send the coins to wrong address .
OVERVIEW
What Is Decentraland (MANA)?
Decentraland uses two tokens: MANA and LAND. MANA is an ERC-20 token that must be burned to acquire non-fungible ERC-721 LAND tokens. MANA tokens can also be used to pay for a range of avatars, wearables, names, and more on the Decentraland marketplace.
Decentraland (MANA) is a decentralized virtual world platform with software based on the Ethereum blockchain, where users create, test and monetize content. In short: users buy virtual plots of land as NFTs with MANA tokens on the Decentraland platform. Progress in the game depends only on players themselves, their efforts and their imagination.
The digital platform is completely owned by its users. Within the Decentraland metaverse, participants can explore the virtual world, purchase plots of land that can be monetized, create works of art, own non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and take part in a decentralized autonomous organization of the platform Decentraland DAO. Due to the DAO, the community influences the development vector of the project.
In addition, users have access to interactive applications, in-world payments and peer-to-peer communication. The 3D world resonates with many participants as Decentraland has many applications, both entertainment for gamers and business for investors.
Two types of tokens called MANA and LAND govern operations in Decentraland. They also allow users to interact with the platform.
MANA is the official currency of Decentraland. It’s an ERC-20 standard token that powers the Decentraland platform. With MANA, users can purchase plots of LAND, as well as pay for in-game items and services.
MANA gives its holders the right to vote in Decentraland DAO. MANA can be purchased on a cryptocurrency exchange or by selling collectibles on Decentraland Marketplace. The owner of tokens converts them to wrapped MANA, or wMANA, and then commits them to the DAO. One wMANA equals one vote. MANA can be exchanged for fiat currency and other digital assets.
As for LAND, it’s a non-fungible token (NFT) based on Ethereum (ETH). It is used to track ownership of land parcels aka digital real estate. Like MANA, LAND is part of the protocol and confers voting rights, but LAND does not need to be fixed in the DAO. One LAND is equal to two thousand votes.
Players choose what to do with their land. Owners store tokens in crypto wallets and buy necessities with MANA tokens on the Decentraland Marketplace. Moreover, on the marketplace, participants can manage or exchange LAND tokens (priced in MANA). Holders use the marketplace to transact or transfer in-game items. All transactions are conducted, regulated and registered via the Ethereum blockchain.
Decentraland combines an online gaming space and blockchain technology. All control over the rules is given to the players, and token holders vote on in-game and organizational policies. The original goal was to form a decentralized virtual reality, but in practice, Decentraland has turned into a massive NFT market.
A special role in Decentraland is assigned to NFTs, such as collectibles, virtual equipment and real estate (LAND). However, for new players who want to join the universe and seize NFTs, the entry barrier will be high.
The Decentraland protocol is built on three levels using Ethereum smart contracts. On the consensus layer, the ownership of LAND is tracked and managed. The land content layer displays the content of the Decentraland virtual world. Finally, on the real-time layer, participants interact with each other.
The platform was co-founded by two blockchain experts, Ari Meilich and Esteban Ordano, in 2015. Officially it was launched a year later and became available only in February 2020, gradually turning from a 2D experiment into a full-fledged 3D world.
To sum up, Decentraland is a decentralized game and a 3D virtual reality platform where players own lands and create limitlessly. Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) software is at the core, and governance is in the hands of the community. Through the native token MANA, players participate in any proposals for managing and improving the ecosystem, the auction system, and the in-game policy.
Who Are the Founders of Decentraland?
Decentraland was co-founded by Ariel Meilich and Esteban Ordano — both of whom have stepped down from major positions at the project, but still work alongside Decentraland as advisors.
Ariel Meilich previously held the role of project lead at Decentraland between 2017 and 2020, and is a serial entrepreneur that has founded several other startups, including an online translation agency and a CRM platform. He also worked as an analyst at Charles River Ventures, a prominent Silicon Valley venture fund.
On the other hand, Esteban Ordano is Decentraland’s former tech lead and has a long and varied history in the cryptocurrency space working as a software engineer at BitPay, Inc., an advisor to Matic Network and briefly operated his own smart contract development firm known as Smart Contract Solutions.
Esteban is also credited with co-founding Zeppelin Solutions, an established blockchain technology infrastructure company.
Although Ariel and Estaban are no longer leading the project, the development of Decentraland is still ongoing, with efforts being directed by the recently established Decentraland Foundation.
What Makes Decentraland Unique?
Decentraland is unique in several ways:
Decentralized Ownership: Decentraland operates on the decentralized Ethereum blockchain, meaning that users have full control and ownership over their virtual assets, including LAND and NFTs. This eliminates the risk of central authorities or third-party companies controlling or limiting user assets.
Community-driven Development: Decentraland is community-driven, meaning that its governance and development are guided by its users and creators. This allows for a more democratic and equitable platform where users have a direct say in its direction and growth.
Customizable Content: Decentraland allows users to create and customize their own virtual experiences, games, and applications. The platform provides a range of tools and resources for content creation, making it easy for users to express their creativity and build unique virtual experiences.
Virtual Economy: Decentraland has its own virtual economy, with its native token, MANA, used as a currency for buying and selling virtual goods and services. This creates a self-sustaining ecosystem where users can monetize their virtual creations.
Open Marketplace: Decentraland has an open marketplace, called the Decentraland Marketplace, where users can buy, sell, and trade virtual assets, including LAND and NFTs. This creates a vibrant and dynamic virtual economy where users have the ability to trade and invest in virtual assets.
These unique features make Decentraland a one-of-a-kind virtual platform that provides users with a decentralized, community-driven, and customizable virtual world.
How Many Decentraland (MANA) Coins Are There in Circulation?
As of my knowledge cutoff in 2021, the total supply of Decentraland’s native token, MANA, is 2,644,403,343. The circulating supply of MANA, which is the amount of tokens available for public use and trade, was approximately 2,102,281,056. It’s important to note that the circulating supply and total supply of MANA can fluctuate over time due to various factors such as token burns, token sales, and user adoption.
As of January 2021, just north of 1.49 billion MANA tokens were in circulation. This is equivalent to around 68% of the current total supply of 2.19 billion MANA.
The original total supply was set at 2.8 billion MANA, but has been reduced as more than 600 million MANA have been burned as a result of LAND auctions.
There is also a range of further burn mechanisms in place to further reduce the circulating supply of MANA, including a 2.5% MANA burn on Decentraland marketplace transactions.
MANA was originally designed to inflate at 8 percent in the first year, decreasing gradually over time to reduce the rate of inflation. But inflation is currently disabled. As per the Decentraland glossary, there are no plans to initiate this inflation “until necessary”.
In total, 40% of the MANA supply was sold during the 2017 initial coin offering (ICO). In addition, 20% was reserved to incentivize the community, 20% went to the development team and other early contributors, and the remaining 20% was held by Decentraland. Project lead tokens are no longer vested.
How Is the Decentraland Network Secured?
The Decentraland network is secured by the Ethereum blockchain, which uses a consensus mechanism known as Proof-of-Work (PoW). PoW is a method of securing a blockchain by requiring participants to solve complex mathematical problems in order to validate transactions and add new blocks to the chain.
In addition to the security provided by the Ethereum blockchain, Decentraland uses smart contracts, which are self-executing contracts with the terms of the agreement between buyer and seller being directly written into lines of code. Smart contracts help to ensure the security and transparency of transactions within the Decentraland network, as they are transparent and cannot be altered once they have been deployed.
Furthermore, Decentraland allows users to store their virtual assets, including LAND and NFTs, in their own wallets, rather than on centralized servers, providing additional security and control over their assets.
Overall, the Decentraland network is secured by a combination of the Ethereum blockchain, smart contracts, and users’ ability to store their virtual assets in their own wallets. These measures help to ensure the security and transparency of transactions and the protection of users’ virtual assets within the Decentraland network.