Decentraland vs Sandbox: Which Metaverse Is the Best Choice?

To be viable in the long term, virtual worlds require functioning economies, where users can conserve the ownership of their digital assets. This is why blockchain technology is an essential part of the metaverse. Consequently, during the metaverse craze of 2021, these types of blockchains skyrocketed in value, bringing this niche under the spotlight of the mainstream investor.

That said, there is quite a lot of them out there, and selecting the best one for your portfolio can be a challenging venture. This is why this article will compare MANA vs SAND, two major players in the Ethereum metaverse market.

Fundamentals of Decentraland

Decentraland is a browser-based virtual 3D world. Users can create an account and take their avatar to explore this metaverse freely. The world itself is divided into NFT LAND parcels, which are in limited quantity.

More importantly, landowners in Decentraland can build various gaming experiences on their plots and charge a fee so that other players can visit or use them. Consequently, this allows users to monetize their digital ownership and get an additional stream of income. This is why LAND in Decentraland is extremely expensive, and parcels average around $4,000.

The platform proposes a marketplace where creators can buy LAND or NFTs created by other users of the platform. These NFTs are typically clothing pieces used to customize avatars. So even users that don’t own land can create content for Decentraland and sell it for MANA tokens.

The MANA cryptocurrency is an ERC-20 token used to purchase NFTs on the marketplace and vote on governance proposals.

Fundamentals of Sandbox

The Sandbox is a full-ledged metaverse that comes in the form of a desktop app. Its platform uses voxel models, which gives the world a similar look to the ever-popular Minecraft. This blockchain-based virtual world provides users with a complete toolkit to create in-game assets in the form of NFTs. Users can either sell these on the marketplace or plug them into various gaming experiences.

Similar to Decentraland, The Sandbox is divided into NFT land parcels. Here as well, only landowners can deploy games that can be further monetized.

The SAND token is used for purchasing land and NFTs, governance, and staking. The staking feature allows users to stake SAND on their land and acquire rewards that allow them to create unique and valuable NFTs.

What Do Decentraland and Sandbox Have in Common?

Both of these metaverses might appear very similar at first glance, and for a good reason.

• They both allow users to own digital land and monetize it through various mechanisms.
• Both MANA and SAND are ERC-20 tokens that run on the Ethereum blockchain. You can exchange crypto online using almost any platform out there.
• They allow creators to mint NFTs and sell them on their proprietary marketplaces or on the Open sea.

So, how do you choose between these two if they have such similar goals? Let’s go through some of their differences.

What Are the Main Differences Between MANA and SAND?

The following characteristics set MANA and SAND apart:

• Decentraland is a running project and has already provided proof of concept. You can create an avatar and start exploring the world immediately. The Sandbox, on the other hand, is still in the Alpha phase and doesn’t have a working version yet. The team provided limited-time access to their game, but there’s still no sign of a final version.
• Decentraland runs in a browser which can be laggy, whereas the Sandbox uses all the capabilities of your computer and runs smoothly.

That said, the main difference between these platforms is the companies and individuals that are backing them. Decentraland has some modest sponsors like Atari and other minor ones. Conversely, The Sandbox has been endorsed by numerous brands and celebrities, including Snoop Dogg, Binance, Coinbase, Warner Bros, and many more.

Which Crypto Will Dominate the Metaverse?

The choice is quite difficult, as The Sandbox still hasn’t provided a true working version of their game. That said, Decentraland is quite empty and not very populated, even if it has been running for over a year now. The quantity of endorsements for The Sandbox is also promising, as this world has managed to gather consequential funds for further development.

So, if you are looking for a metaverse that you can use immediately, go for Decentraland. But if you are willing to wait for the release, the Sandbox has better graphics and promises a better gaming experience overall.