MIRAI: An Attempt to Bring Virtual Idols to Web3

The combination of three popular fields: internet celebrity virtual idols, AI, and Web3 has attracted significant attention to the MIRAI project. The project raised approximately $12.9 million in just one week, setting a fundraising record for Web3 projects in Japan. Subsequently, MIRAI was launched on a trading platform on May 16, further increasing its exposure. To expand community influence, the project team has also actively interacted with multiple popular communities.

MIRAI is launched in collaboration with Aww Inc. and a certain AI platform, positioned as a Web3 attempt at a virtual persona, proposing the innovative concept of "on-chain" CGI virtual characters. This project integrates Aww Inc.'s expertise in CG modeling and character design with blockchain infrastructure and AI technology, aiming to create virtual characters with autonomy and intelligent agent capabilities.

Aww Inc. was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in Tokyo. It is the first company in Asia to focus on "virtual human" technology. The company is dedicated to combining 3DCG, artificial intelligence, and real-time streaming to create highly realistic digital characters for brand marketing, content creation, and metaverse applications. Aww Inc. has achieved diversified revenue through global licensing and brand collaborations, with the most representative being the virtual model imma.

Since its debut in 2018, imma has accumulated a large following on social media, becoming a leading "virtual influencer" in the fashion and business fields. She has served as a digital ambassador for top global brands and participated in the closing ceremony of the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics and hosted the opening ceremony of the 2024 Osaka Kansai Expo.

In terms of technological research and development, Aww Inc. has established a strategic partnership with a semiconductor giant to integrate AI audio-driven technology with GPU acceleration capabilities, enhancing real-time emotional interaction and voice lip-syncing for virtual characters.

The MIRAI project aims to create the first "virtual idol + Web3 autonomous co-creation" ecosystem. Aww Inc. provides core support with its years of IP operation and community management experience in the Web2 world, while its partners inject the "intelligent agent + decentralization" drive into the project through underlying technology and on-chain infrastructure.

The project roadmap shows that MIRAI will successively launch several core tools and services in the coming quarters, including the next-generation Launchpad, Agent Studio V2, Agent Livestreaming, and multi-chain deployment support. These features will provide full-stack technical support for virtual human content production, interactive experiences, and ecosystem expansion.

MIR envisions an AI-driven virtual character linked to a blockchain identity system. This model enables the virtual character to make autonomous decisions, interact with the community, and receive incentives through a token economy. The project allows the community to act as co-creators and co-governors of the character, collectively deciding on plot development and IP derivative directions.

However, this innovative model also comes with numerous risks. In terms of token economics, the distribution of MIRAI tokens has a high concentration issue, which may lead to a high concentration of governance power. Additionally, the phased release of liquidity pools may trigger significant price volatility.

In terms of community operation, while decentralized co-creation can stimulate vitality, it also brings management challenges. The quality of user-generated content varies greatly, which may lead to "plot deviations" or copyright disputes. Frequent derivation and collaborations of characters may also weaken the consistency and recognizability of the core IP.

Overall, MIRAI is pioneering in the integration of AI virtual idols and blockchain, injecting new ideas into Web3 content creation and the IP economy. However, whether it can truly realize the above vision still depends on the rational design of the token economy, the improvement of community governance mechanisms, and the ability to continuously innovate and maintain the value of virtual characters.