Yes, I do think it’s possible for a virtual world to exist. We can never underestimate the power of technology, right? You mentioned it yourself –who could have ever thought we could have virtual currencies? And now we have AI, 5G plus, we’ll be having self-driving cars soon. This momentum is pointing to many things possible.

https://hubpages.com/technology/Virtual-Currency-For-A-Digital-Being
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320868121_Virtual_Augmented_and_Mixed_Realities_Concepts_Games_Applications_and_Long-Term_Immersion_Effects_for_the_Virternity_Project