The Sandbox empowers people to explore and experiment in a blockchain-based metaverse which they themselves have a hand in creating. First launched in 2012 as a mobile app, The Sandbox is bringing to the game true digital ownership and the ability to monetise virtual experiences through the introduction of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and its cryptocurrency, SAND.
If you want to know how you can invest in the metaverse, this guide will take you through where and how to buy The Sandbox (SAND), and explore the potential of The Sandbox’s virtual reality.
You can purchase SAND online using a cryptocurrency exchange. This is the easiest way to buy and sell cryptocurrencies—all you need is a computer or mobile device. See below for our top picks of platforms that offer The Sandbox and simple steps to buy SAND.
A reliable broker or exchange platform is the first thing you’ll need if you want to buy SAND. Ideally, you’ll want a platform that you can easily navigate and that doesn’t charge you high fees for your purchases. If you’re not sure where to start, just check out our top recommended platforms in the table below.
Once you’ve found the platform that’s right for you, you can create your account. This will mean providing some basic details, and regulated platforms will most likely ask for documentation such as a photo ID and proof of address to comply with KYC requirements. Once that’s out of the way, you can make a deposit through any accepted payment method.
The final step is to make your purchase. Search the coins for SAND and make sure to select the SAND trading pair that contains the currency you just deposited. If you want your SAND right now, create a market buy order. You can alternatively create a limit order, which will result in SAND being bought automatically once it reaches a specified future price.
We’ve put together a list of the best exchanges and brokers for purchasing SAND. You’ll want to review their respective features and make a judgement about which suits you best.
The Sandbox is a popular game where players can explore and enjoy a virtual world. Similar to Minecraft and Roblox, users can set their creativity loose by building things, from people and tools to full-blown gaming experiences, creating a truly immersive virtual universe, or “metaverse”.
What sets The Sandbox apart from other builder games is its decentralised nature—all the content of the metaverse is user generated and no central authority can limit players. What’s more, the game uses a play-to-earn model, in which players can monetise their gaming experience through trading virtual land and items.
This is made possible by blockchain technology and NFTs—unique digital tokens used to represent pieces of the virtual map (LANDS) and in-game items (ASSETS). Holders of these NFTs have true ownership over their items and can sell them on the marketplace for SAND, the project’s cryptocurrency. Those who hold SAND also have governance rights over the game.
Whether you want to sell your SAND as quickly as possible or keep hold of it for years is up to you. Both of these approaches have their pros and cons and it is simply a matter of preference.
Many choose to hold onto their SAND for the long term in the hopes that it will appreciate in price. This could turn out to be a sound strategy if interest in the metaverse and blockchain gaming continues to grow. The scarce supply of SAND could also make it a good long-term store of value.
Furthermore, your SAND tokens don’t have to sit idle while you hold them. You can stake them to generate a passive income in the form of more SAND tokens. If you play The Sandbox, you can also use some of your SAND to buy in-game NFTs, and potentially grow your holdings by selling them at a profit.
You may want to set up your own private wallet, which can be particularly beneficial to those holding SAND for any length of time who want an extra layer of security. There is a range of wallets available, which can mostly be divided into software and hardware wallets.
Software wallets are great for those who want regular access to their funds through a free and easy-to-use interface. Hardware wallets may be expensive and more technical, but they provide the highest level of security, making them ideal for long-term holders with a significant amount of SAND. Popular examples include Trezor, KeepKey, and Ledger.
Short-term investors also stand to benefit from SAND, as its price is highly volatile, like the rest of the crypto market. Traders can even take advantage of financial instruments such as options, futures, and contracts for difference (CFDs) to profit from SAND price movements without purchasing the underlying asset.
These traders therefore will not require a wallet as they don’t actually hold any SAND. Short-term investors, meanwhile, may prefer to use the free web wallet provided by their exchange platform, as this is more convenient than regularly moving their SAND between their exchange and a private wallet.
Bank transfer: Most exchanges will allow you to purchase cryptocurrency like SAND directly using your bank details. This method is highly popular as it doesn’t require linking a credit or debit card, costs almost nothing, and has a high upper limit.
Debit card/credit card: These transactions are typically instantaneous and are extremely secure. Make sure to check the associated fees before making a purchase.
Crypto: If you already own cryptocurrency, some platforms will allow you to swap it outright for SAND. This can be an efficient way to convert your existing cryptos into SAND.
Buying and trading SAND are considerably different processes, as buying and holding relates to holding onto a cryptocurrency for the long run while trading crypto is associated with short-term trading. Buying and holding cryptocurrency for the long term seems simple, but takes a lot of patience and endurance to hold through volatile market conditions.
Trading involves closer attention to the daily fluctuations of the market. Timing the market takes a bit of courage and foresight but can result in major short-term rewards if done properly.
The most common and fundamental trading strategy for cryptocurrency like SAND is to “buy low, sell high”. But knowing when an asset is peaking or bottoming in price is extremely difficult to predict, even for veteran traders. While it’s challenging to determine whether the price trends on charts will continue or change, studying their long and short term progression will help you gain an eye for market fluctuations.
The overall popularity and adoption of metaverse projects will heavily influence the price of SAND. Facebook’s metaverse announcement in November 2021 helped spike the price of several projects, including SAND. Another factor pivotal to price growth is how many users actually populate the metaverse. If the game appears to be thriving with an active user base, the price will likely grow as well.
Advanced traders will want to consider the fundamentals of Technical Analysis, which is a process for studying charts closely and predicting price movements. Those who practice TA employ several means to make predictions like moving averages, relative strength index (RSI) indicators, and Fibonacci ratios. It’s not necessary to understand all these techniques, but they may be worth researching further if you’re interested.
When market sentiment is high, people generally assume it will continue going up and that enthusiasm is notoriously contagious. This is typically when people ‘buy high’ as opposed to ‘buying low’ and it can result in a severe pullback on your initial investment. Metaverse projects earned a lot of praise and attention from late 2021, but it’s unclear whether this will be sustained or forgotten as a passing fad.
That said, Metaverses are increasingly popular ways of visualizing interactions over the internet. Rather than having users connect via a Zoom or Skype call, a metaverse offers a graphically rich environment that’s more creative and engaging. The Sandbox is one of several cryptocurrency-based metaverses currently favoured by the market.
Despite the excitement surrounding SAND and other metaverse projects, we recommend against investing more than you can afford to lose.
The Sandbox has a youth-friendly visual appeal reminiscent of Lego that incorporates gaming, building, and metaverse exploration. We’ve detailed a number of additional features and qualities of The Sandbox below.
Decentralised worldbuilding: Users own everything in The Sandbox, from virtual property rights to items and clothing, as NFTs. This means that instead of these in-game assets existing on the developer’s servers, they are attached to the unique wallet address of the owner.
Major partners: The Sandbox is partnered with top-level brands, influencers and franchises including Snoop Dogg, Adidas, The Walking Dead, and Atari. That means in-game content can feature licensed material from outside the metaverse with additional partners likely to be announced in the future.
Youth appeal: The Sandbox has a similar visual style to games like Minecraft or Roblox, arguably making it more appealing to younger audiences. This is key because younger audiences are known to be a driving force behind successful game launches.
Nobody can predict exactly how SAND will perform in the future, but it’s gaining popularity among blockchain metaverse projects. This could mean it’s poised for further success in the future.
Several projects compete with The Sandbox, including Facebook’s metaverse project, Decentraland, Star Atlas, and more. While each will serve a specific niche, it’s difficult to say which will ultimately be the most lucrative or successful, and this could impact the trajectory of SAND in the long run.
The combination of gaming mechanics, world-building, and visual appeal sets The Sandbox apart from its many competitors, and give it mass-market appeal. It’s also encouraging to see they’ve partnered with several major brands, which could also help drive up its price.
Below we’ve outlined a few pros and cons to consider before making a decision about whether to purchase SAND and get involved in the metaverse:
Pros
The Sandbox appeals to gamers of all ages, with comparisons to Minecraft leading the way for its block-based art style.
NFTs allow users to take full ownership of in-game assets
Metaverses are becoming one of the hottest topics in cryptocurrency
Cons
The Sandbox faces stiff competition from other metaverses from Facebook, Decentraland, Star Atlas, and others.
Difficult to predict whether metaverse hype and popularity will persist
This is ultimately a personal choice, but there are various fundamental aspects to consider when making it. Staking rewards could drive demand for SAND, while its scarce supply should prevent devaluation from inflation.
A significant portion of the demand for SAND will likely come from The Sandbox players, as SAND is the game’s main utility token and the only way to buy and sell NFTs in the game. This demand could increase and lead to a price rise as The Sandbox’s userbase grows. The franchise has already earned a significant following as a mobile app, and the benefits of blockchain could attract yet more players.
Investor interest from non-players will also likely play a role in the value of SAND. This is affected by the wider interest and belief in the concept of the metaverse—something that is growing as mainstream tech giants such as Facebook and Microsoft begin to get involved.
Ultimately, blockchain-based metaverse gaming is still an emerging technology with a lot of potential, and innovative projects such as The Sandbox are well placed to take advantage of the growing excitement around this field.