Sandbox (SAND): A beginner's guide to the trending metaverse platform

What is The Sandbox metaverse?

The Sandbox is a virtual environment on the Ethereum blockchain where users may create, control and sell their game experiences using SAND, the platform's utility token.

The centralized ownership and control of user-generated material in the present game market restricts creative rights and ownership. Players cannot generate fair value for their creations due to the centralized control over the sales that they, themselves, create. 

Furthermore, proving creative ownership of works can be challenging, especially as content is copied, edited and expanded upon. The present difficulties are addressed by developing a voxel gaming platform that allows creators to construct, play, share, collect and trade without relying on a central authority while maintaining safe copyright ownership and earning native crypto token (SAND). This move accelerates blockchain adoption to expand the blockchain gaming sector.

In addition, nonfungible tokens (NFTs) are used to create and guarantee copyright ownership, with each in-game item having a unique and unchangeable blockchain identity. NFTs are altering the way we acquire art, form communities, make money and play games. Many NFT-based initiatives morph into full-fledged metaverses, with The Sandbox at the forefront.

This article will explain what a Sandbox game is, how to buy Sandbox crypto and the reasons behind its popularity followed by the future of The Sandbox.

Types of tokens in The Sandbox ecosystem

The four types of users on The Sandbox platform are players, creators, curators and landowners. In The Sandbox metaverse, there are six different sorts of tokens. To construct an enclosed economy among users, all users will rely on four user-specific tokens—SAND, ASSET, LAND and GAME. The remaining two are saved for usage with VoxEdit when constructing assets. These are GEMs and CATALYSTs, which will be explained later in this article.

SAND token

This utility token can be utilized within The Sandbox for all transactions and interactions using the ERC-20 standard. Consider SAND to be The Sandbox's native currency or Sandbox coin.

ASSET token

An NFT based on the ERC-1155 standard produced by VoxEdit users and available for purchase and sale on the Marketplace. Vehicles, animals, structures and other items can be considered assets.

LAND token

In The Sandbox metaverse, a LAND token is a digital piece of real estate that users can populate with games generated using Game Maker and ASSETS created with VoxEdit. Each LAND token follows the ERC-721 standard and is nonfungible.

GAME token

A GAME is an interactive experience created by combining assets and game programming. To be active in The Sandbox, GAMEs must be coupled with a LAND token. Game Maker allows creators to develop games, resulting in a non-fungible GAME token based on the ERC-1155 standard.

What is SAND and what is it used for?

SAND is an Ethereum-based ERC-20 utility token that serves as the foundation for Sandbox transactions. It can be used for the following purposes:

Access the platform

Players can use SAND to play games, purchase equipment and customize their Avatar character, and they can also earn SAND through gameplay. SAND is used by creators to purchase ASSETS, LANDS, and stake the token. LAND Demand for SAND to purchase LANDS is driven by sales. Artists acquire Gems to define Rarity and Scarcity and spend SAND post ASSETS to the Marketplace.

Staking

SAND allows for staking, which allows for passive income on LANDS: you obtain more SAND by staking it. This is also the only means to obtain expensive Gems and Catalysts, which are required to create assets.

Governance

SAND is a governance token allowing holders to vote on platform governance through a decentralized automated organization (DAO). They can vote on important issues like Foundation grant attributions to content and game developers and feature priorities on the platform Roadmap. Owners of SAND can vote for themselves or assign voting privileges to other players.

Foundation

The Sandbox Foundation's mission is to promote the platform's ecosystem by providing grants to encourage the creation of high-quality content and games. In addition, the Foundation has supported over 15 crypto gaming projects and given over 100 artists the opportunity to create NFTs before the public launch in December 2020. 

The overall value of the metaverse rises as the value of all games supported by the Foundation rises, creating a virtuous circle that allows more incredible games to be funded.

Free capture model

Of all SAND token transaction volume (transaction fees), 5% is distributed, with 50% going to the staking pool as a reward for token holders that stake SAND tokens and 50% going to the Foundation.

Three products in The Sandbox ecosystem

The Sandbox ecosystem is made up of three products and services that make user-generated content easier to create:

The Sandbox Crypto VoxEdit

The Sandbox game's building blocks are 3D pixels known as voxels– this name isn't particular to The Sandbox project; it pertains to virtual reality development. In The Sandbox, players use the free Sandbox VoxEdit program to build their own game experiences out of these lego-like parts. It works similarly to other popular voxel editors, such as Magica Voxel.

“Assets” refer to characters, items and other in-game assets developed in VoxEdit. They can be converted into ERC-1155-compliant NFTs. This standard allows artists to print as many copies of the same ASSET as they want. This will enable them to generate a one-of-a-kind ERC-721-compliant NFT while also making numerous copies of it within the same smart contract.

GEMs and CATALYSTs are two tokens related to assets that the project introduces. Both are ERC-20 fungible coins. GEMs are used to provide “asset” attributes; the more features an asset has, the more valuable it is. An asset can get 25 attribute points from a single GEM.

CATALYSTs determine the tier and scarcity of assets. Common, Rare, Epic and Legendary are the four tiers. Each of these tiers can have up to 25, 50, 75 and 100 attributes, respectively. GEMs and CATALYSTs can be defined in VoxEdit after the ASSET has been created.

Creating a Sandbox Avatar

Avatars are used by players to interact with the virtual metaverse. A Sandbox Avatar is a technical term for an asset created in Voxedit. The Sandbox has released a new Avatar tool that allows users to customize their Avatars directly without using VoxEdit by mixing and matching different body parts and clothing.

The Sandbox Marketplace

Understanding the distinction between asset creators and gamers in The Sandbox metaverse is critical. Only those asset developers who the “Creator Fund” has accepted can upload their assets to the project's marketplace.

The Sandbox Marketplace allows players to sell their digital assets to other Sandbox players, monetizing their creations. Creators must first upload their assets to the InterPlanetary File System before importing them into the marketplace. To create game experiences, players can purchase assets from these verified developers on the marketplace.

Game Maker

The Sandbox is a collection of different games, locations and other experiences rather than a single game. The team has left the world open-ended, allowing artists and gamers to construct, own and monetize the metaverse in the future.

Within the metaverse, you can use the Game Maker to create 3D game experiences. Even unskilled game creators can get started because no prior coding knowledge is required.

What can you do in The Sandbox game?

The Sandbox is a decentralized blockchain game with a peer-to-peer gaming model. On the surface, this is what it appears to be, yet there is much more to it. NFTs make up nearly all of the game's assets. So, what makes this unique?

Anyone can purchase an NFT, making them the owner of that exact object or location in The Sandbox. Even though Animoca Brands created this metaverse, they do not own the digital assets in the game.

Animoca has created a platform that allows individuals, groups and even businesses to purchase and construct in their world. As long as someone has a Sandbox NFT, they're in the game. Apart from allowing players to own digital property in their game, The Sandbox also allows users to customize and design their universe completely.

This feature allows for a new generation of “user-generated content” that may be used by both The Sandbox team and others. In addition, notable brands are experimenting with content marketing. For instance, the world's most famous shoe company, Adidas, has partnered with The Sandbox to create their own Adidas-branded metaverse.

How to buy Sandbox crypto?

The token can be obtained in a variety of ways. For example, in the blockchain game, you can win the token by performing tasks. Users can also utilize the Game Maker to build and market their games. On some exchanges, the token is also available for purchase and can currently be purchased at the following trading venues:

1. Binance: Binance is the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange. Registration and entry are made straightforward. Binance accepts Bitcoin (BTC), stable coins like Tether (USDT), and the Binance Coin (BNB) to purchase SAND tokens. To do so, go to “Buy Crypto,” buy the cryptocurrency, and then trade it for SAND. 

2. Uniswap: Click “Launch App” and then “Connect to a Wallet” at Uniswap. For this, MetaMask or another Ethereum-compatible browser wallet is an excellent option. Switch Ether (ETH) to SAND by clicking “Swap” once connected.

3. Simplex: SAND can be purchased with a credit card through Simplex. The Sandbox's dashboard has a direct link to the service. You will be routed to the payment process after clicking “Me,” and then “Simplex.”

4. MetaMask: You can exchange ETH for another Ethereum-based coin using the MetaMask wallet. One of them is the SAND token.

What is Sandbox land and how to buy it?

In The Sandbox metaverse, LAND is a digital piece of real estate. Each LAND token is a non-fungible, one-of-a-kind ERC-721 token. If you want to buy a LAND, you should first learn about The Sandbox Metaverse's complete landscape by looking at the map. This website also hosts the official public LAND sales. Regular and premium LAND are the two types of LAND available.

LAND is required for users to develop their worlds and games. This game can be played without the token. As previously stated, you will want Ethereum in your wallet to cover the fees associated with the eventual purchase. SAND is the cryptocurrency used to pay for LAND tokens in the blockchain game. Click on a piece of LAND on the website's map if one is available.

Regular land that is available is highlighted in gray, and premium land that is also available is highlighted in yellow. You have reserved the land after you click the “Buy” button. The associated wallet will open, and the gas fees and SAND price will be displayed. The LAND will turn purple to indicate it is booked.

The transaction will be completed once it has been confirmed via your wallet. Your chosen amount of gas, as well as any blockchain congestion, impacts the time it takes to complete. The LAND will become red once you've completed the task, indicating that you now own it.

If you don't finish your purchase within two hours, the LAND will become accessible to everyone again. Alternatively, you can buy land using OpenSea, which is a secondary, third-party marketplace where numerous NFTs, including The Sandbox LANDs, can be purchased. 

To purchase LANDS from OpenSea, you must first create an account with them. To use the LANDs on the platform, you'll also need to create an account at The Sandbox. On OpenSea, LAND can be acquired with SAND or ETH, depending on the seller's preference. 

The Sandbox's marketplace can later be used to sell LAND. Over time, this functionality will be introduced to the game. In the meanwhile, you might try selling it on OpenSea or Rarible. Currently, the renting feature is disabled. But, why are people buying digital lands in The Sandbox?

The fundamental goal of LANDs is for game designers and developers to be able to post experiences on them that can be enjoyed by gamers and monetized. Other services, such as renting out and staking on LANDs, will be accessible.

You will have a say in the governance of The Sandbox metaverse if you own LAND. The Sandbox's voice will be LAND owners and SAND token holders, who will be active in shaping and regulating the platform's destiny via a DAO.

Is The Sandbox a good investment?

Because it integrates blockchain technology into the vast worldwide business of gaming, The Sandbox is a solid investment. While other attempts to apply blockchain to gaming have been made in the past, The Sandbox may be the first to succeed because of its complete focus on an entirely decentralized gaming environment in which users have the final say in everything.

In contrast, other projects only use blockchain to store in-game assets. Because users have complete control over The Sandbox environment, it can grow and adapt naturally at a much faster rate than centralized game settings. 

Many blockchain investors feel that The Sandbox is a viable investment since the SAND token is not just an in-game currency but also a governance asset that allows individuals to make critical decisions about the project's progress.

What is the future of The Sandbox?

The Sandbox protocol collaborated with more than 165 brands, including well-known franchises such as The Walking Dead, Smurfs, and Atari. These collaborations include virtual performances by Deadmau5 and Snoop Dogg, as well as a Walking Dead game. The project has also raised $93 million to date, and the team is working hard to expand its product suite and metaverse.

In 2022, LAND owners who have created exceptional game experiences will be awarded some additional metaverse features. The Sandbox DAO is scheduled to launch in Q2 2022. In Q4 2022, the mobile version and new community tokens are expected.