I see the value in crypto, but as a chronological consensus, not as a currency.

I see the value in the metaverse, but as a cheaper lower fidelity alternative for the real world, not a more productive version of it. The metaverse as a replacement for the real world, IMO, will always be a cheap copy, and only suitable for things which in the real world are uneconomical, impractical or impossible.

Neuralink-style HMIs on the other hand I see as a potential alternative to working with computers. Who needs goggles when you're part of the machine?