Animoca Brands Corporation Limited and its subsidiary Bacasable Global Limited have recently announced that their user-generated content platform, The Sandbox, has successfully raised $20 million in funding. This funding round includes a valuation cap of $1 billion for the platform, solidifying Animoca’s reputation as a pioneer in advancing digital property rights within the open metaverse.
The newly acquired funding will propel The Sandbox towards its goal of creating a decentralized virtual world that combines culture and gaming. The platform aims to allow the community to actively contribute to and benefit from the ecosystem’s development. Key areas of focus for future development include enhancing earning opportunities for creators, updating Game Maker and VoxEdit 3D editor tools, introducing new social interactions for avatars, and launching a multiplayer rules system. Additionally, a mobile version of The Sandbox is expected to make its debut in 2025.
Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, expressed gratitude for the ongoing support and highlighted the potential economic impact of the metaverse. He stated, “McKinsey estimated that by 2030 the metaverse could add $5 trillion to the global economy. Today, games like Minecraft and Roblox are popular titles, but they do not provide users with digital property rights. The Sandbox represents the evolution of UGC games for the age of digital ownership.”
Since its Alpha launch in November 2023, The Sandbox has experienced significant growth and achieved several milestones. The platform has over 1,000 user-generated experiences and boasts over 5.7 million connected user accounts with crypto wallets. Furthermore, The Sandbox has forged partnerships with over 400 global brands, including Lionsgate, Hellboy, and Warner Music. More than 100 branded experiences are currently in production and set for release throughout 2024.
The Sandbox has been successful in engaging creators, with over 330,000 unique creators downloading its no-code Game Maker in the past year. Through educational initiatives, boot camps, and game jams, the platform continues to attract first-time creators. Additionally, The Sandbox has sold and utilized over 60,000 avatar NFTs from 19 branded collections within its virtual world, including popular brands like Hellboy and Rabbids.
In the last six months, The Sandbox has achieved significant milestones, such as allowing its 25,000+ virtual real estate owners to share their LAND experiences publicly. The platform also launched its Marketplace on Polygon’s L2 platform, enabling creators to mint and sell digital assets. These efforts have led to a thriving economy within The Sandbox, with users producing over 11,000 unique digital assets and selling them over half a million times.
Overall, The Sandbox’s recent funding success and ambitious development plans showcase its potential to transform the landscape of virtual worlds. As the platform continues to engage creators, expand its market, and offer unique earning opportunities, it is poised to define the future of user-generated content in the metaverse.
Leave a Reply