LEADING metaverse marketplace Exclusible has sold 25 private islands for $2.9million, welcoming a raft of celebrities to The Sandbox.

A-list stars were quick to snap up the virtual properties with all the plots – known as parcels – being sold in just two weeks.

Strict rules were in place for who was eligible to make the purchases, with Exclusible limiting sales to those with a social media following of more than a million.

Paris Saint-Germain football star Marco Verratti and Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman both bought into The Sandbox.

So did Swiss tennis player Stanislas Wawrinka and former Victoria’s Secret model Sara Sampaio.

Financial services company eToro also made a purchase.

The properties are located in The Sandbox’s much sought after Luxury District.

Owners of the 25 parcels have access to a range of exclusive features.

They can make use of helipads and a harbour and are able to customise the interior and exterior of their virtual homes as they desire.

Exclusible’s CEO Thibault Launay said the rapid speed at which the executive plots of land were bought was proof there is growing demand for the metaverse.

He said: “Selling out our stock of islands in only two weeks demonstrates the high demand for exclusive metaverse assets and experiences.

“We strive to continue our mission in bringing unique experiences to the metaverse.”

There has been a surge in property purchases in metaverse platforms in recent months as the opportunities offered by the virtual world build momentum.

Analysts MetaMetric Solutions are now tipping sales of parcels to reach nearly $1billion in 2022.

It would be double to total of sales last year when purchases on all platforms, including The Sandbox, Decentraland, Cryptovoxels, and Somnium, reached $501million.

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