Barbados’ new diplomatic compound is being built in Decentraland, an online world, or metaverse, accessible through a computer and a virtual reality headset.

But Abed said the metaverse also has more serious implications for small, deeply indebted nations like his.

“This is about diplomatic parity. We simply cannot support 197 diplomatic missions around the world,” he said. “We recognize that we’re a 166-square mile island — we’re tiny — but in the metaverse we’re as large as America or Germany.”

Barbados’ diplomatic compound will likely cost anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000 to build, but all the expenses are being covered by a “five-figure” grant from Decentraland. Other users on the site have also offered to donate land, he said.

“The cost is not too bad,” he said. “It’s a fraction of what a physical embassy costs.”

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