To put it lightly, there are a lot of virtual blockchain worlds to choose from, but for this, I wanted to focus on the two that continue to come up in every conversation - The Sandbox and Decentraland. Both are very similar from an experience standpoint and they both boast very large brand and artist partnerships. The user can engage and invest more passively vs. platforms like Axie Infinity which, although is technically a virtual blockchain world, appears to be more of a game that requires a greater and ongoing level of participation.
THE SANDBOX
- Avg. Daily Users: 4,500
- Valuation: $4B
- Parcels: 166,464 Total LANDs / 10% Held by SB for special events / 16% Held in reserve and distributed to partners / 74% (123,840) is available to users
- Currency: $SAND (1 $SAND = US $0.85 as of 07 October 2022)
- Parcel Price: 1.648 ETH (per parcel) / $4,773(Lowest)
The Sandbox was founded in 2011 by Arthur Madrid and Sébastien Borget and is a subsidiary of a Hong Kong-based game software company called Animoca Brands. The primary function of LANDs in The Sandbox is to host experiences within them. Like more traditional virtual games like Roblox and Minecraft, The Sandbox allows you to build your own 3D games using its Game Maker application.
The Sandbox LANDs have generated over $530 million in historical trading volume. So far in 2022, The Sandbox has been the leading virtual world platform with more than $98 million in trades and attracting over 6,800 unique traders.
How it works
Although it appears all the initial LAND purchases were made directly on The Sandbox, the primary way to buy LAND is currently on the secondary market offered on OpenSea.io. Purchasing is simple.
LAND on Opensea.io
https://opensea.io/collection/sandbox
- Locate an available parcel on The Sandbox Map
- Navigate to The Sandbox Collection on OpenSea.io
- Filter “Buy Now” and search the coordinates of the available parcel
- Fund and connect your wallet to OpenSea
- Complete your purchase
Congratulations! You are now a virtual LAND owner in The Sandbox.
The Sandbox Map (with OpenSea Parcels selected)
Overall, the platform is easy to access and navigate. It has a very intuitive design, and the map has filters and detailed parcel descriptions that make it possible to quickly understand the landscape of the game, see where the name brands are, and find the more premium/desirable parcels that are available.
Also, Snoop Dog lives there. Need I say more?
DECENTRALAND
- Avg. Daily Users: 675 (Note: these stats/standards are currently being developed)
- Valuation: $1.3B
- Parcels: 90,601 Total Parcels / 90,000 available for purchase
- Currency: $MANA (1 $MANA = US $0.77 as of 07 October 2022)
- Parcel Price: 4000 $MNA (Avg.) / 3.7 $ETH / $4899 USD
Decentraland was created by Argentinians Ari Meilich and Esteban Ordano and has been in development since 2015. The platform is designed to purchase and monetize virtual properties. These properties can be used to house a variety of experiences. A quick run through will reveal a variety of casinos and NFT galleries, but the platform has been used to host multiple types of events such as one during Fashion Week in partnership with the Dolce & Gabbana brand. In fact, their event list is massive compared to any other platform I’ve seen so far, possibly because it’s a prominent category within their navigation.
The total number of parcels in Decentraland is capped at 90,000. The common spaces, plazas and roads cannot be bought or sold by users. Scarcity, as in the physical world, is one of the fundamental drivers of the value of LAND in Decentraland.
Decentraland has raised over $50 million in funding to date and according to their website, the platform has over $213 million in historical trading volume (total including all assets). So far in 2022, Decentraland has been one of the leading virtual world platforms with more than $3 million in trades.
Overall, Decentraland is easy to navigate (once you’re in) and its parcels within the map include detailed descriptions that help in deciding on where to purchase. The platform itself feels heavy, and I’ve had plenty of issues getting the actual game to load, but this is (likely) an issue more with my machine than it is the game itself. You don’t have to play to own parcels, but it’s probably a good idea to get a sense of what you’re investing in.
Like The Sandbox, Decentraland boasts some large partnerships and promotions with brands such as Samsung, Miller-Coors and Dolce & Gabbana. The list of “huge” partnerships on both platforms is ongoing.
How it works
Purchasing LAND on platform or on OpenSea is simple.
LAND on Decentraland Marketplace
https://market.decentraland.org/lands
- Locate an available parcel on the Land map within Marketplace and select the On Sale Filter
- Select a parcel to purchase
- Log in by connecting your digital wallet
- Complete your purchase
LAND on Opensea.io
https://opensea.io/collection/decentraland
- Locate an available parcel on the Land map within Marketplace and select the On Sale Filter
- Navigate to the Decentraland Collection on OpenSea.io
- Filter “Buy Now” and search the coordinates of the available parcel or browse using the filters provided (note, these filters are broader than those available for The Sandbox)
- Fund and connect your wallet to OpenSea
- Complete your purchase
Congratulations! You are now a virtual LAND owner in Decentraland.
Decentraland Map
This is a post by Cori Johnson-Stankowicz