As one of the figureheads of NFT metaverse games, The Sandbox attracts the attention of many companies that want their own space in this virtual universe. Founded in 2011 by Frenchmen Arthur Madrid and Sébastien Borget, The Sandbox has not always been a 3D world linked to blockchain and NFTs. If the first version was already a success, then their transformation to the metaverse technology brought about a meteoric rise for the company. The game has achieved widespread popularity over time. The Sandbox mobile game, initially designed to compete with Minecraft, has received more than 40 million downloads globally. A few years after it was first released to the public, over 70 million worlds have been developed in The Sandbox and its follow-up, “The Sandbox Evolution,” which was launched on June 23, 2016. The Birth of a New Virtual Ecosystem: Sandbox NFT What started The Sandbox’s shift towards the metaverse was the announcement of Meta’s huge investment in this parallel universe and its takeover by the Hong Kong company Animoca Brands, which specializes in the blockchain. Sébastien Borget, in an interview, explains the reason for this change: “We realized that it is difficult to keep a player in time only by betting on the promise of recognition of the creators. We also had no technical means of sharing part of the income from the content created. In 2017, we discovered the blockchain used in the CryptoKitties game, which allowed products to be purchased using NFTs. So we tested this technology to allow our creators to monetize the content they create.” What is Sandbox NFT? The Sandbox can be described as a multiplayer game that allows participants to design their customized universes with unique items. Mazes and riddles can be created, relief maps can be drawn, and other users can be invited into your unique virtual realm. As the project progresses, participants will be able to implement their own ideas and design their unique games. None of this requires any programming knowledge. There are in-game goods like ornaments, games, and parcels of land that are commercialized in the virtual space known as The Sandbox. Using non-fungible tokens, the developers hoped to create a game akin to Roblox and Minecraft that would give players complete control over their masterpieces (NFTs). To exchange these NFTs on the Sandbox marketplace, users must access the SAND token cryptocurrency. How to Play Sandbox NFT? Starting off in the game requires a significant financial commitment on the part of the new player, at least $100 depending on the current exchange rates for Ethereum (ETH) and SAND. The Sandbox now provides several tools for creating 3D virtual objects and experiences without knowing how to write code: the VoxEdit, the Game Maker, the Sandbox Marketplace, and the SAND Token. The VoxEdit: You can develop ASSETs or game items in voxel using the modeling tool in the Sandbox, known as VoxEdit. You can refer to the voxel as the pixel of a 3D object. Because VoxEdit allows for both modeling and animation, it can better enhance users’ experience. The Game Maker: As its name suggests, this tool allows users to create games for free. Creators’ ASSETs undergo a series of trials in various gaming settings. With the Game Maker, users can place and engage with their ASSETs anywhere on the virtual planet. A game you developed can only be published if you own a piece of LAND; however, you can also use the LAND of another user, if permitted. In essence, objects can be configured to behave in a certain way using Game Maker’s built-in parameters. The Sandbox Marketplace: Valuable items can be sold as NFTs on the Sandbox marketplace. The Ethereum blockchain technology powers the Sandbox Marketplace. The Sandbox native cryptocurrency, SAND tokens, serve as the major means of exchange for NFTs referred to as LANDs or ASSETs between creators and players. The Sandbox Artist and the Game Maker Fund receive 5% of purchases to support the work of game artists and other projects. The Sandbox Native Cryptocurrency Token: SAND Token SAND is a virtual currency on the Ethereum network, represented by the ERC-20 token. In the Sandbox marketplace, users utilize it to buy, sell, or swap NFTs. On top of all that, it’s utilized to keep track of and make improvements to the platform. SAND is required to create, sell, and monetize your own NFTs. The developers of some games may demand funds in the form of SAND before allowing players to access their creations. Those who play the game can also earn rewards. SAND tokens are accessible on several online investment networks, including eToro, Krake, KuCoin Binance, Huobi Global, etc. However, the eToro investment platform is the preferred option here. eToro Crypto Wallet and MetaMask, allow you to trade your SAND tokens for other cryptocurrencies. Some Applications of the SAND Tokens The SAND tokens can be used in the following ways: ASSETs can be traded with SAND by artists and game players. For the ASSETs to be placed on the marketplace, SAND is also required. The SAND is the valuable token used to govern the Sandbox DAO. With this token, you’ll be able to cast a vote on future improvements of the Sandbox virtual ecosystem and how the creators’ resources are used. Using the system to stake SAND will allow you to generate additional income. Also, to get CATALYSTs and GEMs, which are necessary for developing ASSETs, staking SAND is the only option here. In order to enhance the economic growth of the metaverse, the SAND token provides funding for artists and initiatives that deserve it most. How to Buy Sandbox NFT? You can purchase Sandbox NFT of your choice on various NFT marketplaces, including Sandbox Marketplace (using the SAND token and Ethereum cryptocurrency), Opensea platform, etc. However, below are quick steps to buy Sandbox on the Opensea platform: The first step here is for you to visit the OpenSea online platform. After that, use the platform’s wallet integration feature to link your account. You can easily create one on the eToro platform if you don’t have a wallet. You are required to load your associated wallet with an adequate amount of Ethereum (ETH) cryptocurrency. With sufficient Ethereum balance, select the NFT you would like to purchase and the quantity on the OpenSea platform. After selecting your desired NFT, paying for the NFT price in ETH is the last step in validating your transaction. Note: You are also required to pay an additional fee (gas fee) in ETH together with the NFT cost. How to Buy Ethereum on eToro Platform You can easily buy Ethereum on the eToro investment platform by following the steps below: Open an eToro Account: To trade on eToro, you must first create an account. To achieve this, just go to the eToro website and fill out some basic information about yourself. Validate and fund your eToro account: To load your account with funds, you must first validate it. To achieve this, all you need to do is supply eToro with a valid ID. This stage is expected to be completed within minutes. There are various ways to fund your account after it has been validated. PayPal and Skrill are examples of e-wallets that can be used to make payments, as well as debit and credit cards. Purchase ETH (Ethereum): You can purchase Ethereum now that your account has been funded. To accomplish this, enter Ethereum into the search box. Then choose it and indicate how many ETH you want to purchase by highlighting it. You’ll then have funds in your account that you can use to make NFT purchases. Link your eToro wallet to an NFT Marketplace: With WalletConnect, you can now link your wallet to a marketplace like OpenSea. Go to the OpenSea website and click on the account icon at the top right of the page. From this point forward. Scan the QR code or type in your wallet address in the WalletConnect section. Your eToro wallet and OpenSea will now be linked. How to Make Money Playing The Sandbox NFT game? Everything is up to the system users’ objectives and contributions. Community participants may give financial guidance to any user since the platform doesn’t. Passive revenue may be generated by trading SAND with LAND. Currently, the main method to earn in-game objects that can be used or sold is to contribute to the game. Your portion of the profit is dependent on how much funds you contribute to the liquidity pool, which you can do in the game. The more pieces of land you possess, the greater your payout. You may be required to make payment for income tax if you generate a profit through SAND tokens. Further information will be available in the nearest future. Sandbox NFT Price and Statistics In early March, during the launch of its second alpha season, The Sandbox announced that it had surpassed two million registered users. It is not impossible that the majority just log in from time to time out of curiosity. However, the platform still has 18,500 landowners who have purchased a total of 166,464 plots, knowing that a plot initially costs around $10,000. It is estimated that around 70% of The Sandbox plots have been sold. And prices have already started to climb according to its neighbors: the land next to rapper Snoop Dogg’s virtual mansion has been valued at more than $400,000. Gartner predicts that 25% of people will spend at least an hour a day in the metaverse by 2026 –but also buy or rent virtual real estate using cryptocurrency to do whatever they want with it, including monetizing the content they create on the platform using NFTs. An opportunity that more than 200 brands wanted to seize: Warner Music, for instance, formed a partnership for a musical amusement park, and Adidas, which has bought 1.6 million euros of virtual real estate on the platform, offers accessories in NFT. Conclusion — Is it worth your time and investment? The Sandbox has the best chance of success out of all the metaverses because of its years of existence. However, many people are still waiting to see whether its team can compete with other big tech companies that are also searching for various means to build the metaverse of the future. An investment in SAND tokens has witnessed both tremendous gains and losses in its relatively brief existence. With more brands getting on board, the excitement around the metaverse is only growing. Those who decide to buy at the appropriate moment could reap enormous profits.
