Remember how we were fascinated by video games in childhood?
It doesn’t matter whether we played alone or with friends — games always brought joy and inspiration. Many of us preferred to spend pocket money on a new PlayStation version rather than on a bicycle or baseball bat.
Modern games are no longer just entertainment — they have become a social phenomenon, part of our daily lives, and for some — an alternative reality. As they say in the movie “Ready Player One”:
“People come to the Oasis for all the things they can do, but they stay for all the things they can be. It’s the only place I feel like I mean something.”
The 2020 pandemic only accelerated this trend, strengthening digital isolation and pushing millions of users toward virtual worlds. Today, such worlds influence not only mood but also real relationships, worldview, and even income. If people are ready to invest time and money in virtual space, it itself becomes valuable real estate — even if it all exists only in digital format. The main criterion of value is the willingness to pay.
Let’s Take Minecraft as an Example — One of the Most Popular Games in the World
This is a virtual sandbox where players create their own worlds using imagination and available resources. In Minecraft, there are no strict goals or rules — everything depends on the user’s fantasy. Such games are called “sandboxes” (Sandbox Games), as they resemble a children’s sandbox where you can build anything you want.
In 2020, Minecraft brought $142 million in revenue, and the total number of copies sold exceeded 200 million. This is a vivid testimony to the enormous potential of virtual worlds.
However, Traditional Gaming Platforms Have Serious Drawbacks That Hinder the Development of This Ecosystem
Problems of the Traditional Gaming Industry
- Centralized control over digital assets
Developer companies retain full rights to all in-game items. The player only “rents” them — for example, a purchased weapon in Call of Duty will disappear forever if the game is closed or you lose access to the account. - Trading restrictions
Platforms themselves decide whether items can be sold and take a significant share of profits. Sometimes they completely prohibit exchange. - Dependence on fiat currencies
Using dollars, euros, and other traditional currencies is not suitable for micro-operations, which limits the development of in-game economies. - Lack of compatibility between games
An item from Minecraft cannot be used in Worldcraft — each world is isolated.
The Sandbox: Blockchain Solution
To overcome these barriers, The Sandbox project appeared — a decentralized virtual world on the Ethereum blockchain where players can create, own, and monetize their gaming experience. All this works thanks to its own SAND token.
Key advantages:
- True digital ownership: assets belong to you, even if the game closes.
- Free trading: each item is an NFT (ERC-721 or ERC-1155) that can be sold on the open market.
- Interoperability: assets can be used in different games on the same blockchain platform.
The project team has solid experience: they previously founded Pixowl Inc., which released the original The Sandbox game (2012) and The Sandbox Evolution. These games collected 40 million downloads and 70 million created worlds. In 2018, Pixowl was acquired by Animoca Brands, and the blockchain version of The Sandbox launched the same year.
The virtual universe of The Sandbox consists of 166,464 LAND plots — digital real estate that can be combined into ESTATES and DISTRICTS to create large-scale projects.
Project Founders
- Arthur Madrid — CEO and co-founder. Former head of Pixowl, now board member of Animoca Brands.
- Sebastien Borget — COO and co-founder. Engineer by education, president of Blockchain Game Alliance in 2020.
The Sandbox Ecosystem Components
1. VoxEdit
This is a free tool for creating 3D models in voxel style. Artists can model characters, objects, animals, and animate them. Ready assets can be used in the game or put up for sale.
2. Marketplace
Platform for buying and selling NFTs created in VoxEdit. Here are collections from Atari, Binance, Smurfs, Gemini, and other brands.
3. Game Maker
With its help, any user can turn their LAND plot into a full-fledged game — without programming skills. Simply place assets and set their behavior.
→ Game Maker is also available for free download.
4. Avatars
Players create unique characters by combining clothing elements, colors, and accessories. Some items increase avatar characteristics and can be purchased on the Marketplace.
SAND — Ecosystem Token
SAND is an ERC-20 token on Ethereum with several functions:
- Payment means: purchasing LAND, assets, avatar customization.
- Voting: by 2023, the platform will become a DAO — SAND holders will manage project development.
- Staking: you can earn passive income by receiving SAND, as well as rare game resources — catalysts and stones.
- Liquidity: SAND can be used in Uniswap pools to earn rewards.
Token economics:
- Maximum supply: 3 billion SAND
- In circulation: ~885 million (30%)
- Market capitalization: $734 million (at time of publication)
Tokens are distributed between the team, investors, fund, and reserves. 30% is already in circulation — this reduces manipulation risks.
Where to Buy SAND?
On exchanges: Binance, KuCoin, HTX, Gemini, OKEx, as well as on DEX: Uniswap, 1inch.
LAND and Monetization
In total, there are 166,464 LAND plots in the metaverse (NFTs by ERC-721 standard). According to the team, 58% are already sold. Owners can:
- Create games,
- Rent out LAND,
- Place advertisements.
Platform Revenue Sources
- LAND sales
- Own NFT sales
- Subscriptions and premium services
- Transaction fees
- Advertising
- Partnership integrations
Partners
Among them are Binance, Atari, The Smurfs, Square Enix, Axie Infinity, CryptoKitties, The Walking Dead, and others.
Competitors
- Traditional: Minecraft, Roblox, Minetest
- Blockchain projects: Enjincraft, PlayDapp, Utopia Realms
Pros and Cons
✅ Pros:
- Real asset ownership
- Experienced team
- Strong partnerships
- Clear tokenomics
- Future support for mobile and console platforms
❌ Cons:
- At the time of writing, there are no full-fledged games for testing
- No VR support
- High competition with established platforms
Conclusion
The Sandbox is a promising project that solves key problems of the gaming industry through blockchain. It has everything: a strong team, recognizable brand, active community, and thoughtful economy.
However, success depends on real implementation and adaptation. While the platform is in development, and the first games won’t appear until the end of 2021.
Recommendation: you can allocate a small portion of the portfolio to SAND, and make a decision about scaling after the Alpha version launch and user interest assessment.
Current status: Bullish (bullish trend).
