The Sandbox

The Sandbox is a virtual metaverse where players can build, own and monetise their gaming experiences and digital assets on the Ethereum blockchain using the platform's utility token- SAND. Players can create digital assets in the form of NFTs- upload them to the marketplace and integrate them into games with Game Maker. The objective is to give creators the ownership of their creations in the form of NFTs and to reward them for participating in the ecosystem.

The Sandbox was created by a team of developers led by Arthur Madrid and Sebastien Borget in 2012. It was initially launched on mobile with forty million downloads and seventy million creations and then moved forward with the Ethereum-based blockchain version in 2018. The founders' vision was to create a platform that would allow users to purchase a land parcel in the form of a NFT which can then be used to build structures and create experiences. The Sandbox also has a gaming aspect wherein games could be designed by community members through a game creation tool.. after which they could develop, share and monetise it. 

The core team of the Sandbox believed that the blockchain technology could revolutionize the gaming industry by creating such a decentralized platform that would give power back to the users. And the strength of user-generated content is it allows for infinite creative capacities—and that allows monetisation. "We built The Sandbox with the idea of putting the community at the center of value creation and the reward system. It drives everything we do. The Sandbox is a rich and open metaverse powered by fun interactive experiences- a user-generated ecosystem that rewards creators with 100 percent of their revenue and a decentralized virtual economy. In The Sandbox- players and creators have full ownership of anything they create or buy and the rights to anything they create." The SandBox co-owner Arthur Madrid told L'Officiel. 

Sebastien Borget serves as the co-founder and COO. "We've showcased that it's not just about gaming but a new format of entertainment that lies between social interaction and gamification… And we're going to showcase that the Sandbox is resilient and not depending on tech or crypto market crash" he told Forbes. Today the list of celebrities and brands that have taken an interest in The Sandbox includes Snoop Dogg- Adidas- Paris Hilton- Gucci- and many more.

In the Sandbox ecosystem there are four types of users: players- creators- curators- and landowners.. each contributing to its unique dynamics. To create a self-contained economy within this ecosystem- users rely on four tokens with two additional tokens reserved for constructing assets in VoxEdit. "Sand" is the native currency used throughout The Sandbox ecosystem as the basis for transactions and interactions. It is an ERC-20 utility token built on the Ethereum blockchain. "Assets" represent virtual assets and can be traded in the marketplace or used for land-based utility. "Land" is digital real estate in The Sandbox that players can acquire and populate with games and other digital assets. Multiple lands can be combined to form an Estate. "Game" enhances the interactive experience as users can build and monetise games on their land. Lastly "Gem" boosts asset attributes while "Catalyst" defines an asset's tier and scarcity.

The Foundation plays a crucial role in nurturing The Sandbox ecosystem. It is actively engaged in several initiatives including managing Game Makers Fund and Creators Fund which provide grants to incentivise the development of high-quality content and games within The Sandbox. The Foundation also distributes grants to a hundred artists- enabling them to produce NFTs that are showcased on The Sandbox's official website. Moreover, the Foundation supports local community managers worldwide through its Community Rewards and Ambassadors program. Lastly, it sponsors prizes for contests organised by The Sandbox team- such as VoxEdit Contests and Game Jams- to stimulate user creativity and encourage engagement with the platform's tools.

The vision of The Sandbox is deeply rooted in a decentralized platform on the metaverse which empowers users- putting them at the forefront of value creation and the reward system on the strength of user-generated content. It is a dynamic open metaverse with engaging interactive experiences characterized by a user-generated ecosystem that ensures creators receive 100 percent of their revenue. Furthermore The Sandbox is committed to establishing a decentralized virtual economy where both players and creators enjoy full ownership rights over everything they create or purchase. This vision embodies a groundbreaking approach to virtual worlds.. championing user empowerment and creativity within a thriving decentralized virtual environment.

The Sandbox offers a comprehensive suite of tools within its Metaverse ecosystem to enhance the user experience. "VoxEdit" empowers users to create and animate characters, vehicles and animals. "The Marketplace" facilitates the upload, publication and sale of digital assets stored on a decentralized IPFS network and registered on the blockchain. And, "Game Maker" has an easy- to- use interface that helps users to create 3D games regardless of coding expertise.