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Decentraland vs Sandbox Comparison

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Indeed, the consistent exploration of the digital space has continued to birth a series of powerful innovations. One of such innovations is the virtual reality environment, metaverse, which has undoubtedly recorded massive adoption. As defined, the metaverse functions as a three-dimensional virtual world, allowing users to interact with each other and digital solutions. Although the innovation is yet to be embraced in its totality, analysts see the future as highly bright for the metaverse. Without any doubt, the discovery of this trend led to the creation of several metaverse spaces, including decentraland vs sandbox.

Indeed, both virtual reality platforms are renowned in giving metaverse experiences to users. The successes of both protocols had, in recent times, ensued a Decentraland vs Sandbox debate, particularly amidst early adopters. Accordingly, this article intends to reasonably carry out the Decentraland vs Sandbox discourse in a bid to balance their functionalities, similarities, deficiencies, and differences.

Overview of Sandbox and Decentraland

Sandbox

In an attempt to do a decentraland vs sandbox debate, it is essential to fully appraise the functionalities of the latter. Founded in 2011, Sandbox emanated as a reality virtual world powered by Ethereum blockchain. However, in 2017, the space was upgraded to the 3 dimensional gaming protocol. As programmed, Sandbox creates a platform for subscribers to initiate, own, play and monetize all their experiences and innovations in the virtual arena. The protocol runs on a play-to-earn mechanism for all game players to develop their gaming experiences.

Additionally, the platform has continued to wax stronger through its consistent empowerment of creators, builders and a host of others. Notably, the space allows for the exploration of Non-fungible tokens and DAOs as measures towards aiding players. More so, sandbox usually avails a native utility token, identified as SAND. The SAND is usually employed in carrying out series of transactional activities on the space.

The gaming platform on Sandbox is blockchain-oriented. As designed, the space avails a remarkable experience for the production of UGC, known as User Generated Content. Here, subscribers obtain virtual ownership for their respective gaming content.

Techniques on Sandbox

Voxedit


One of the notable techniques on Sandbox is the Voxedit. This technique enable users to create their NFT collection easily. It functions as a 3-dimensional platform, allowing subscribers to animate 3D creations, including animals, humans, equipments among others. Users can easily migrate their creations when done to the sandbox marketplace.

Marketplace

More so, the Sandbox metaverse possesses a marketplace. This marketplace enables subscribers to easily upload their respective NFT collections created through Voxedit. First, creators need to upload their NFTs into a network called IPFS. This, as revealed, helps to avail a decentralized repository for the tokens. Afterward, creators usually register with the blockchain. Doing this will enable them to prove ownership of the NFT creation. Subscribers can then make a sale offer on the platform for buyers to embrace.

Game maker


Game maker on sandbox paves the way for creators to invent 3-dimensional games without incurring any cost. With this technique, users don’t need to possess any huge knowledge of coding to invent games. The game maker, as designed, runs with the visual scripting tools which enables the success of the creation with ease.

Sandbox’s native token

Sandbox’s native token, identified as SAND, runs as an ERC-20 token. This token serves as a gaming token in the ecosystem, aiding all transactions and interactions on the network. Reportedly, it possesses a circulating supply of 1.3 billion coins and a total supply of 3 billion. Other tokens which run on Sandbox includes Assets and Lands. Assets, for instance, runs as an ERC-1155 token which can be traded on the platform’s marketplace. More so, Land functions as an ERC-721 token. Sandbox users usually purchase Land in a bid to explore it in their games, assets, and interactive exposures.

Decentraland

Furthering the Decentraland vs Sandbox debate, this article will now look into the functionalities of the former. Founded in 2017, Decentraland manifested as a complete 3D metaverse. Just like the Sandbox, Decentraland runs on the Ethereum blockchain. Notably, its layered elements are designed via Ethereum’s smart contract. Additionally, the Decentraland consensus layer helps to sustain its ledger. This ledger is designed to monitor the ownership of land parcels. As designed, the space paves the way for users to trade virtual real estate. Additionally, users harness Decentraland to interact and play virtual reality games. With Decentraland, creators create animations and interactive experiences on their virtual real estate.


Notably, Decentraland possesses numerous builder’s tool to enable creators explore their LAND parcels in aiding a distinctive experience. Similarly, users can employ the editing tools to customize interactions on the space and consequently access libraries and payment implementations.

Decentraland native tokens

Decentraland runs with two identifiable tokens, namely MANA and LAND. MANA as a native token helps to aid trading of LAND and other digital products used on the space. More so, holders of MANA appears eligible to interact with the platforms. Possession of the token enables them to customize their avatars, interact with other users and build remarkable experiences in the space.

Additionally, holders of MANA usually enjoy governance rights. This enables them to vote on policies involving the Decentraland project.
As for LANDs, it runs as an NFT on decentraland. It helps to determine the owners of parcels, which represents virtual real estate. As designed, MANA tokens employed in purchasing parcels are usually burnt whenever LAND is sold. It possesses a circulating supply of 1.8 billion MANA coins and a total supply of 2.19 billion.

Decentraland vs Sandbox: Similarities

Despite the age-long argument of Decentraland vs Sandbox, certain things are comparable between these two. This comparison is well grounded in a chain of similarities that makes the two a little bit synonymous despite the fierce competition. Firstly, One of the significant similarities between the two entities in the Decentraland vs Sandbox’s argument shared is the virtual reality services they offer. Embracing virtual reality with blockchain technology is another significant similarity between them.

Another significant similarities between these two are their root in Ethereum. Both Decentraland and Sandbox are based on Ethereum, though Decentraland is the first Ethereum-based platform that offers Metaverse services. This similarity underview illustrates their decentralized nature. In a simple language, the MANA and SAND tokens of the two metaverse platform follow the Ethereum ERC-20 compatibility standard.

This makes the two platforms quite similar to OpenSea because it’s also based on the Ethereum Blockchain. Though OpenSea only offers a friendly platform for users to trade NFT, both Decentraland and Sandbox offer more than this. They give gamers the required support to develop games, office space, events, and everything possible within the virtual world. A better explanation of this feature implies that the two metaverse platforms are 3D-oriented. They also give users the opportunity to design 3D assets and trade them as NFTs.

Coding simplification with Decentraland and Sandbox

Another Similarity between Decentraland vs Sandbox is that they offer a simple coding process. This implies that a gamer doesn’t need much coding experience or knowledge before they design games on the two platforms. Though via diverse methods, the Decentraland and Sandbox tend to simplify coding in other to aid gamers to express their ideas fully.

Additionally, the Decentraland vs Sandbox comparison comes with a comparison of the utilization of their native tokens. On the two platforms, gamers are mandated to pay or mint a NFTs using the MANA and SAND tokens. These similarities has further fueled the unquenchable comparison of the Decentraland vs Sandbox

Decentraland vs Sandbox: Differences

In this context of Decentraland vs Sandbox, there are some differences between the two. These discrepancies highlight why investors and gamers often disagree over the best between them. According to the program of Decentraland, people can create, explore and make money from their content and applications. The initiative of Decentraland has helped gamers, programmers, and businesses to make a fortune from their expertise.

Meanwhile, Sandbox operates more like a rent and purchase initiative. It allows gamers to acquire plots of land, lease them, and rent them out for a certain period to make money. This feature under discussion demonstrates the decentralized nature of the sandbox because it gives gamers the autonomy to make certain decisions.

On Decentraland, a LAND is a NFT which gamers can acquire using an Ethereum Smart Contract with MANA an ERC-20. It implies that Decentraland records ownership of LANDS as a virtual asset. Worth noting that Sandbox utilizes blockchain technology to aid user-generated content (UGC) and tokenomics. It allows the conjunction of numerous plots of LAND to form an ESTATE. Nonetheless, this feature is limited to lands that possesses identical themes. Here, gamers use the LAND token to gain entrance to a LAND or ESTATE, as the case may be. This is possible because contents on Sandbox depend heavily on the creativity of gamers. Thus, making the features unlimited and more decentralized.

Decentraland vs Sandbox: Comparing Gas fees

Gas fee and transaction charges are another dominant themes of the Decentraland vs Sandbox contention. For this aspect, there is a remarkable difference between the charges of both Decentraland and Sandbox. Without much emphasis, it’s widely known that a player must pay gas fees when they carry out any action on the blockchain. Though, the Ethereum blockchain has endured stern critics for its high gas fee charge. However, the Decentraland marketplace offers a cheaper charge compared to Sandbox. On Decentraland, players are charged 2.5% MANA on every transaction, while Sandbox charges about 5% on every transactions.

Decentraland vs Sandbox: Size comparison

In regards to the size of the two Metaverse platforms, Decentraland pegged its land plots to 90,601 NFTs, while Sandbox has about 166,464 land NFTs. By size, the Sandbox is quite bigger than Decentraland. Further, Decentraland has three varieties of tokens, which are MANA, LAND, and WEAR. Sandbox has about four tokens which are SAND, GAMES, LAND and asset.

Another major difference between these two is that Decentraland doesn’t really have an interesting road. Conversely, Sandbox offers a comprehensive roadmap with plans to build a mobile version of the platform before the end of the year. Decentraland possesses the backing of DAO for its enhancement, while Sandbox is more centralized with experienced video game developers.

Another thematic contrast of the two platforms in the Decentraland vs Sandbox contest is the collaboration with other projects. Decentraland had collaborated with notable projects like Cyberpunk, Atari, Tsubasa, and Polygon. Sandbox has collaboration with Snoop Dogg, Cryptokitties, and the Walking Dead. In addition, the platform assets have been exported to the leading NFT market place OpenSea. However, Gamers in the Decentraland can only trade NFTs around its marketplace.

In terms of graphics and interface, Sandbox is far ahead of Decentraland because the latter is older, thus remaining short of remarkable design innovations.

Decentraland vs Sandbox: Conclusion


Despite this similarities and differences between this two, it’s difficult to pick an out straight winner in the Decentraland vs Sandbox. Still, choices and preferences will base on how they both suit gamers’ choices and interests. Considering critical criteria such as interface, size, design, and roadmap, Sandbox is slightly above Decentraland. This doesn’t imply an attempt to place one above the other.

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Olaleye Komolafe
Olaleye Komolafe
Olaleye is a professional reporter with vast experience in web3, cryptocurrencies, and NFT journalism. He enjoys writing about the evolving metaverse sphere and the prevalence in the crypto sphere. Notably, some of his contents have been published in numerous international publications. Away from the crypto world, Olaleye is a political scientist and a lover of football

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