The META Foundation, in collaboration with VAST Bhutan and the Rubin Museum of Art, pioneers virtual travel with a collection of 1080 NFTs spreading good wishes and positive messages from Bhutan — a small Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas that measures happiness instead of gross domestic product — across the metaverse. Sales support educational programs, and the cleaning of the mountains surrounding Thimphu, Bhutan’s capital-city.

Inspired by the motif on traditional Buddhist prayer flags, which today are made of synthetic, non-biodegradable materials, "Windhorse" is a commentary on both the environment and (im)permanence. The sculpture, made of fallen, faded, entangled prayer flags collected from the mountains, breathes new life into their prayers and revisits this tradition in the age of commodification and mass consumption. The META Foundation introduced the digitized sculpture as one of Bhutan’s first NFTs during the Fast Company Innovation Festival on September 29, 2021.

In partnership with local artist Carmen Mondragon, this upcoming project aims to encourage community revitalization, and help establish a sustainable economy through art and tourism in the small village of Chacchoben, located near the coast of the Mexican Caribbean. Hosting one of the largest Mayan settlements in the region, the village suffers from high rates of domestic violence and substance abuse, rising social issues, and ongoing sanitation problems, despite its proximity to major tourist attractions — the Mayan ruins.