What is The Sandbox (SAND)? A complete Beginners Guide

Sandbox, a decentralized platform built on the Ethereum blockchain, is gaining attention for its unique approach to user-generated content and virtual economies. The platform allows users to create, share, and monetize their own virtual worlds, using its native token, SAND. In this article, we will provide an overview of Sandbox, its features and its underlying technology, as well as its current use cases and future potential in the decentralized finance space.

What is The Sandbox (SAND)

According to the official whitepaper, Sandbox is a decentralized virtual world and gaming metaverse. It was created by Pixowl under the stewardship of Arthur Madrid and Sebastien Borget in 2011 as an online gaming platform. But in 2018 Sandbox game developers decided to integrate it into the blockchain ecosystem. But even more importantly, they sought to transform it into a community-driven platform.

They transformed Sandbox into a user-content generated platform, with SAND holders participating in the governance of the platform via a DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization). This implies that any Sandbox platform user can play games, create custom games and assets, own these assets and games, and even monetize them. They also determine how Sandbox ecosystem is run by voting on key decisions affecting the platform.

Overall, Sandbox hopes to morph into one of the largest blockchain-based social networks. This would allow for real-time interaction between the metaverse users in Sandbox hubs.

How Does The Sandbox (SAND) Work?

Sandbox has four core components i.e LANDS, Games, Vox Edit and game maker, as well as the NFT marketplace. These dictate the nature of services provided in The Sandbox metaverse and, by extension, how the virtual world works. Let us take a closer look at each of these and see how they work.

LAND: The Sandbox metaverse is divided into 166,464 pieces of virtual land. These are designed to serve as the Sandbox hubs for different activities in the virtual world. These could range from gaming conventions, shops and stores, chat rooms, entertainment joints, and hubs for virtually any other experience. Like every other asset on The Sandbox metaverse, each plot of LAND is a tradable NFT.

Gaming: The Sandbox ecosystem also features a wide range of games, both user-generated and conventional games. Most of these are built on the play-to-earn model that rewards players with free SAND tokens when they play.

Vox Edit and game maker: In addition to playing existing games, you too could create custom games and share them with other metaverse users. You do not even need to be a coder to create games on the platform. Simply use the numerous free Voxel models NFTs integrated into the Sandbox metaverse ecosystem. You could also use these models to create unique assets that you can then use on your land or sell to other landowners. You get to own the games and assets created using these free voxel models and can trade them as NFTs.

NFT marketplace: The Sandbox virtual world integrates an NFT marketplace. Here, you get trade LANDS, games, and any other asset created and hosted on this virtual world.

Note: The Sandbox is the metaverse while SAND is the governance and utility token for this virtual world.

How is The Sandbox (SAND) Created?

Sandbox (SAND) is created through a process called token issuance. This process involves creating a smart contract on the Ethereum blockchain, which acts as a blueprint for the token. The smart contract includes the total supply of the token, as well as the rules and functions that govern it.

Initially, the Sandbox team created a total of 2 billion SAND tokens, which were distributed among various stakeholders such as the founding team, early investors, and the community. The token issuance also included a public sale, where individuals could purchase SAND using Ethereum.

Additionally, the platform also allows for the creation of new SAND tokens through a process called token minting. This process involves using LAND (non-fungible token) as collateral to mint new SAND, which can be used to participate in the governance and other activities on the platform. This mechanism helps to align the incentives of the platform’s users and helps to increase the liquidity of the SAND token.

It’s important to note that, as the SAND tokens are minted through LAND, the total supply of SAND can increase over time, as more LAND is minted.

What is the Purpose of Sandbox?

The purpose of Sandbox is to democratize user-generated content and virtual economies by enabling users to create, share, and monetize their own virtual worlds. The platform utilizes blockchain technology to provide a secure, decentralized, and transparent environment for users to create and manage virtual worlds, as well as to buy and sell digital assets.

One of the key features of the platform is the use of LAND, a non-fungible token that represents a parcel of land within the Sandbox metaverse. Users can purchase LAND using SAND, the platform’s native token, and then use it to build and monetize their own virtual experiences, such as games, social networks, and other applications.

Additionally, Sandbox also provides a suite of tools and services to make it easy for users to create and manage their virtual worlds, such as a marketplace for buying and selling LAND and other digital assets, and a suite of development tools for building games and other experiences on top of the platform.

Furthermore, the platform’s governance mechanism, which is supported by the SAND token, allows users to participate in the decision-making processes of the platform, and helps to align the incentives of the platform’s users.

Overall, the purpose of Sandbox is to provide a decentralized, user-friendly and decentralized platform for the creation and monetization of virtual worlds and experiences, as well as to create a self-sustaining metaverse ecosystem with the use of its native token SAND.

How to Mine Sandbox (SAND)

Mining Sandbox (SAND) is not a traditional process like in the case of Bitcoin or other proof-of-work cryptocurrencies. Instead, SAND can be obtained through a process called token minting.

Token minting is a process that allows users to use LAND, a non-fungible token that represents a parcel of land within the Sandbox metaverse, as collateral to mint new SAND tokens. This process is done through a smart contract on the Ethereum blockchain, which mints the new SAND and sends it to the user’s wallet.

To mint SAND, users first need to purchase LAND on the Sandbox marketplace or through other means. Once they have LAND, they can use it as collateral to mint SAND through the token-minting smart contract. The amount of SAND that can be minted is determined by the LAND’s value, and the current SAND/LAND exchange rate on the platform.

It’s important to note that token minting is not a one-time process, and users can continue to mint new SAND as long as they have LAND as collateral. Additionally, the SAND tokens minted through this process can be used to participate in the governance and other activities on the platform.

How to Buy Sandbox (SAND)

To buy Sandbox (SAND), you will need a wallet that supports ERC-20 tokens, and some Ethereum (ETH) which you can acquire on cryptocurrency exchanges. Once you have some ETH, you can then buy SAND on a cryptocurrency exchange that supports SAND trading. You can place an order to buy SAND using ETH and once your purchase is complete, the SAND will be credited to your wallet, make sure to store it in a safe place and keep your private key secure. The eToro digital wallet and Naga wallet are among the common ones.

How is Sandbox (SAND) Used?

1. Make money through speculative investing/trading

The easiest and most common method of putting your SAND tokens into use is making money through speculative investing and trading. Investing involves HODLing on to SAND tokens for an extended period of time, while expecting their value to shoot to unprecedented heights. Trading, on the other hand, involves the frequent buying of SAND tokens when its price tanks and selling them when it rebounds.

2. Gift or tip

You could also give out SAND tokens as gifts or tips to friends, family, and acquaintances. The gift can be advanced to other gamers and investors on the Sandbox ecosystem or even friends and acquaintances. Tips can on the other hand be offered to online content creators.

3. Donate to charity

The majority of charitable trusts and non-governmental organizations will also accept crypto donations. You may, therefore, consider donating crypto to a charitable trust or non-governmental organization championing the advancement of your favorite humanitarian, environmental, or any other course.

4. Pay for goods and services

You may also opt to pay for goods and services with SAND tokens. A majority of crypto-friendly stores both online and physical will gladly accept SAND as payment for different goods and services. You may also propose to your acquaintances and business associates to accept SAND tokes as payment for goods or services rendered.

Conclusion

Sandbox is a decentralized platform that enables users to create, share, and monetize virtual worlds. It uses its native token, SAND, and LAND, a non-fungible token, to build a self-sustaining metaverse ecosystem. It offers user-friendly tools and services, a marketplace, and a governance mechanism supported by SAND. It’s an innovative project that has the potential to change the way we think about user-generated content and virtual economies. Worth keeping an eye on.