While the term ‘metaverse’ has come to characterize all things web 3.0, and in particular virtual worlds proposed by Meta, Decentraland, and The Sandbox, the reality is that web 2.0 applications such as social media, or even older virtual world applications such as Second Life, were metaverses of their own. Games such as Fortnite, Roblox, World of Warcraft, and League of Legends are all examples of metaverses. 

Essentially, anything that constitutes a virtual world that people across the globe can interact with in real-time is a type of metaverse, including the Twitterverse.

However, when it comes to the virtual worlds of web 3.0, there is no one metaverse but several metaverses. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is currently working on making metaverses interoperable so that your avatar can seamlessly move from one world to the next with its NFTs and skins intact, but for now, each metaverse is stand-alone.

The Sandbox

The Sandbox is also a Minecraft-esque virtual world, much like Decentraland, with a strong social angle. The Sandbox is a community-driven platform where creators can monetize digital assets and gaming experiences on the blockchain.

The Sandbox has not officially launched yet and is expected to open its world to the public in March of 2022. Despite this, the price of SAND increased eight-fold in November 2022 and has risen by 13,000% over the past 12 months off an admittedly low base. It has already generated 500,000 users or SAND token holders.

One of The Sandbox's strengths is its simple graphics and native tools, making it easier to develop in, and go viral. Simplicity is key to any meme going viral, (this was true for the English language) and is true when it comes to metaverses.

The Sandbox is owned by Animoca Brands, a gaming firm, and has raised over US$93M in

funding. Its current market cap is US$5.8B.

The Sandbox has a very strong brand and social component, with notable residents such as Snoop Dogg, A$AP Rocky, Deadmau5, Care Bears, The Walking Dead, Atari, The Winklevoss Twins, and numerous others buying up land in its metaverse.

LAND in the Sandbox is limited to 166,464 parcels and currently sells for an average price of US$12,000, in some cases, sells in the low six-figures, depending on location and proximity to influential personalities and brands. 

Such PREMIUM LAND generates more traffic, creating additional monetization opportunities through the sale of NFTs, renting out land, and selling advertising such as digital billboards.

The Sandbox is also an environmentally conscious platform, integrating with Polygon’s energy-efficient proof of stake system, purchasing carbon credits, and planting trees.