Virtual Land Transactions in the Metaverse and Their Juridical and Legal Challenges

Metaverse is one of the emerging phenomena rapidly gaining traction across various dimensions. In the Metaverse, virtual assets, including virtual land, are being traded for various purposes. The validity of such transactions may pose religious and legal challenges. Some raise doubts about the ownership of virtual land because of the virtual nature . There may also be objections to the non-tangibility of virtual land by those who consider materiality as a prerequisite for a valid sale. Some argue that in such transactions, both the price and the object are virtual, leading to ambiguity in certain aspects, and thus, they consider the sale of virtual land as an example of invalid and void transactions. In this article, utilizing a descriptive-analytical approach and examining library sources, we have ultimately concluded that, according to some religious perspectives that consider customary practices and rational foundations as the criteria for materiality, virtual land in the Metaverse, being desired and possessing economic value, is considered as having materiality and can be subject to transactions. Moreover, since non-material and virtual assets are abundantly traded in today's world, it is generally accepted that sales are not limited to tangible objects. Additionally, we found that there is no ignorance or ambiguity that could lead to harm in such transactions, thus invalidity and nullity of the transaction are ruled out. In conclusion, the sale of virtual land in the Metaverse can be deemed valid unless it is deemed unethical or against public order for specific reasons in the future