When Metaverses Collide: A Chat with The Sandbox's Sébastien Borget 🌌🎮🎨

Amidst the glittering towers of NFT Paris, BeInCrypto had the pleasure of conversing with Sébastien Borget, the visionary co-founder and COO of The Sandbox. As the metaverse market prepares to soar to $103.6 billion in 2025, platforms like The Sandbox, a decentralized digital playground built on the mighty Ethereum blockchain, lead the charge in this virtual revolution.

But Borget’s ambitions don’t stop at the metaverse’s borders. He’s also the mastermind behind Artverse, a digital art sanctuary nestled in the heart of Paris’s 3rd arrondissement. Founded in 2024 alongside the equally brilliant Arthur Madrid, Artverse serves as a bridge between the digital and physical realms of art, a place where artists, collectors, and aficionados mingle and celebrate the boundless creativity of the digital age. In our tête-à-tête, Borget spills the beans on the metaverse’s future, the evolution of digital art, and the audacious ventures of The Sandbox and Artverse. 🎨✨

By 2024, the metaverse seemed to hit a snag. What’s your take on the primary culprits?

“While our early visions may have been too grandiose, painting a picture of a virtual reality utopia, the metaverse is still in its infancy, ripe with opportunities for those daring enough to explore its current and future capabilities.

Like any newborn industry, success favors those who prioritize building their community while refining their product. We’ve kept our focus on our core offerings—Game Maker, Game Client, and VoxEdit—forging a robust ecosystem that fuels creativity, camaraderie, and fun.

Simultaneously, we’ve crafted programs that pamper our creators and players with unique rewards, strong brand alliances, and community-led initiatives that unite our global user base. These community-centered efforts, backed by a user-friendly product, have led to over 2,000 new experiences on The Sandbox Map, over 6.3 million wallets connected, and over 580,000 unique players during Alpha Season 4 last fall. 🎉🏆

One major hurdle has been the blockchain divide, making interoperability and cross-project collaboration a work in progress. This has pushed projects like The Sandbox to innovate new ways to collaborate and add value to Web3 users. Unlike Web2 gaming platforms, we’re eager to team up with other Web3 projects and brands, curating avatar collections, offering LAND swaps so projects can launch their game in our ecosystem, and more, all to bring the Web3 ecosystem closer and create more cross-platform value for our communities. 🤝💰

Social gaming and metaverse platforms like The Sandbox are thriving, proving that the dream of a user-driven, decentralized virtual world is far from dead.”

State of the metaverse in 2024

“2024 was a year of maturation for the metaverse—less hype, more substance. Despite grappling with challenges like interoperability and shifting market expectations, we saw significant strides in user experience and engagement.

Advancements in VR, AR, and AI have transformed user interaction with virtual worlds, enhancing immersion and accessibility. At the same time, the demand for connectivity between metaverse ecosystems grew, spurring companies to develop solutions for greater interoperability and cross-platform functionality.

For The Sandbox, 2024 was a banner year, especially in user-generated content (UGC). Our no-code Game Maker tools empowered more creators than ever, leading to over 1,500 experiences on The Sandbox Map.

Our creator community blossomed, surpassing 25,000 LAND Owners and 62,000 Avatar Owners, reflecting a surge in demand for digital assets. Alpha Season 4 was a smashing success, drawing over 580,000 unique players who engaged with content, completed quests, and transacted on-chain. This growth underscores the public’s appetite for creating, exploring, and playing in the metaverse, and as we step into 2025, we’re thrilled to expand opportunities for creators and players, shaping the next era of virtual experiences.” 🚀🎉

Three magic bullets to reignite the metaverse hype in 2025?

“Alpha Season 4, which ended in December 2024, underscored the global appeal of socializing and gaming in the metaverse. People yearn for new experiences they can share with friends, be it casual games, chat rooms, or friendly competitions.

Alpha Season 4 delivered on this desire, and in 2025, we’re committed to expanding and enriching these interactive experiences. For Web3 to go mainstream, seamless onboarding is crucial.

In the Web3 universe, players must create a wallet and complete KYC verification, steps that can overwhelm newcomers. A smooth onboarding process ensures players quickly set up a complete user profile, unlocking full gameplay and earning opportunities. 🕹️💰

Beyond onboarding, serving the right content to players is key. With the metaverse offering countless worlds, guiding users to content that piques their interest is essential for both successful onboarding and long-term retention. Finally, bolstering user-generated content (UGC) is vital.

As a UGC-driven platform, our mission is to arm creators worldwide with no-code tools to bring their ideas to life. Product innovations and technological advancements enable the creation of engaging, high-quality experiences that keep players coming back. In 2025, UGC metaverse platforms must concentrate on releasing new features and products that support creators, enabling them to build games that captivate players and keep them hooked.” 🎮🔥

The Sandbox’s master plan to reclaim the spotlight in the metaverse sector?

“At The Sandbox, we’re constantly seeking new ways to bring fresh experiences and thrilling partnerships to our community, and there’s a treasure trove of content to look forward to in 2025. We’re doubling down on strategic alliances in music, entertainment, sports, and fashion to shape culture and engage new audiences through immersive experiences. We can’t spill the beans on new partners yet, but brace yourselves for exciting new experiences and avatar collections in the coming months. 🎉🎁

Building on the success of Alpha Season 4, we’re planning three seasons in 2025, each with a unique theme and a mix of brand and UGC experiences. This refreshed approach will offer players more chances to earn, collect exclusive NFTs, and discover new gameplay on the platform.

ISH have utilized the metaverse as a canvas to unveil new music in a 3D, immersive setting, allowing fans to connect more deeply with their tracks. Streaming while gaming is a popular trend, and we believe integrating directly into end-user experiences could enhance gameplay or increase engagement, as players can listen to their favorite artists while they play. 🎧🎮

We’ve seen this concept thrive in the form of virtual concerts, which we expect to continue in 2025 as artists seek to reach their fans globally. Lastly, fashion—serving as a form of self-expression, an extension of one’s virtual identity, and a way for brands to engage consumers innovatively—will expand in the coming years.

Now more than ever, individuals view their avatars as extensions of their real-life selves, making it natural for virtual fashion to gain mainstream acceptance and value. We anticipate more fashion brands entering the metaverse and creating unique offerings, whether through an immersive world inspired by a new collection or a limited edition NFT collection that includes a matching real-world item upon purchase.” 👗👠

AI’s role in the metaverse’s future and the evolving relationship between these technologies?

“AI is already shaping the metaverse, but its impact in Web3 gaming differs from the broader gaming industry. While traditional games harness AI to enhance NPC behaviors or optimize performance, in the metaverse, AI is integrated to empower creators and communities.

At The Sandbox, we’ve witnessed how AI can aid users in generating assets and designing experiences more efficiently, allowing them to focus on creativity rather than technical hurdles. That said, we believe AI is a tool to augment, not supplant, human-driven creation. The metaverse, at its essence, is a space built by people for people, and AI should serve as an enabler, assisting creators in bringing their ideas to life while preserving the experience’s personal and user-driven nature.” 🤖👨‍🎨👩‍🎨

Generative AI and the metaverse: merging or competing?

“Generative AI and the metaverse are evolving, but their role in Web3 gaming differs from traditional gaming. In The Sandbox, AI isn’t solely about enhancing gameplay; it’s a potent tool that accelerates content creation, from immersive environments to interactive storytelling.

Rather than eclipsing the metaverse, AI enriches it by making creation more accessible. AI’s true potential emerges when combined with metaverse platforms to build richer, more interactive virtual worlds. The future isn’t about AI replacing creativity; it’s about AI and human ingenuity working together to forge the next generation of open, player-driven experiences.” 🎮👨‍👩‍👧‍👦🤖

Artverse: a digital art space within the metaverse. How does it stand out from traditional NFT marketplaces and other metaverse art platforms? What unique features or partnerships are you most excited about that will drive engagement among artists and collectors?

“Artverse distinguishes itself from other NFT marketplaces because, while we primarily deal in NFTs, our focus extends beyond mere transactions. We offer physical spaces where digital art can be experienced and appreciated in ways that resonate with traditional collectors.

We also set ourselves apart from metaverse-based art platforms. To us, the metaverse is a tool—one of many—that influences how people engage with art, but the Artverse itself is much broader. We see the metaverse, along with AR, AI, and NFTs, as technologies that shape contemporary culture. Artverse is not just a digital art gallery; it is a Culture House that bridges the digital and physical worlds.

At its heart, Artverse is a platform where artists, project leaders, and Web3 community members can connect, exchange ideas, and showcase their work. Our name, ‘Artverse,’ merges ‘art’ and ‘universe’ to reflect the myriad dimensions of artistic expression, embodying our vision of moving from URL to IRL.” 🌌🎨

That said, we acknowledge that while our digital artists and collectors community is growing, it remains a niche within the broader art market. Only a fraction of traditional collectors actively engage with or invest in digital art.

To bridge this gap, Artverse has forged strategic partnerships with dual goals. First, educating traditional collectors about the unique value and potential of digital art and NFTs. Second, creating physical spaces where digital art can be experienced in ways that appeal to traditional art audiences.

That’s why we actively collaborate with established art institutions and galleries such as Christie’s and the Kate Vass Gallery. Before NFT Paris, we hosted Christie’s Art + Tech Apéro at Artverse, featuring celebrated artists like Zancan, Kevin Abosch, Claire Silver, and Takashi Murakami, among others.

We’ve also partnered with NFT art platforms and communities like Tezos and SuperRare, curating solo exhibitions for prominent digital artists like ALIENQUEEN, Emi Kusano, Zancan, Jeff Davis, Primavera, and Marco, helping bring their work to a wider audience.

Beyond exhibitions, we’ve recently incorporated a permanent physical art collection featuring pieces from my collection and The Sandbox on Artverse’s first floor. Meanwhile, the basement houses a rotating digital art selection curated by Grida (Director at Artverse). By showcasing these works, we aim to foster an ongoing dialogue around art often overlooked in Paris, contributing to a more diverse and inclusive cultural landscape.” 🎨🌍

Strategies for building and sustaining a vibrant community around Artverse and bridging the gap between established art institutions and emerging digital creators while ensuring a seamless user experience in the metaverse?

“At The Sandbox, I’ve collaborated with gaming studios, fashion brands, and digital artists because our focus is on empowering players and creators. We strive to attract first-time creators who may have felt excluded by complex game development software or discouraged by steep learning curves. To lower these barriers, we provide easy-to-use tools, tutorials, boot camps, and game jams, making creation more accessible to everyone.

Through my experiences in various industries, I’ve learned the significance of fostering exchanges between communities. In my view, this is what keeps a platform vibrant, whether it’s a newcomer or an established titan.

This philosophy also guides my work at Artverse. We believe Web3 should be open to all, and artistic and cultural projects provide an engaging way for people to explore this space. Whether through music, dance, fashion, design, or learning about blockchain technology, we create opportunities for people to connect with artists through workshops, panel discussions, and seminars. That’s why we partner with traditional institutions like Christie’s and art galleries, as well as Web3-native projects such as Tezos, TON Blockchain, Coinhouse, and SwissBorg.

One example of how we blend traditional art, digital art, and the metaverse is our upcoming exhibition with Richard Orlinski, the world’s best-selling French contemporary artist since 2015. In this show, Orlinski pays homage to a legendary figure of Web3 and cryptocurrency: the Shiba. To present this new creation—melding sculpture and digital art—he is exclusively collaborating with Artverse. Each collector will receive both a physical Shiba sculpture and a corresponding digital NFT, which can be used in The Sandbox metaverse.

I’m convinced that anyone can appreciate art and become a collector. Today, my collection includes works from renowned artists like Ai Weiwei, Refik Anadol, Agoria, and Léo Caillard, but I wasn’t a seasoned collector when I started.

My passion for collecting grew through my work with artists at The Sandbox. None of us were experts in crypto, blockchain, or the metaverse from the get-go—just as no one is born knowing art. At The Sandbox, we say anyone can become a game creator. At Artverse, we say anyone can become an art collector.” 🎨🎮💰

2025-03-11 16:07

When Metaverses Collide: A Chat with The Sandbox’s Sébastien Borget 🌌🎮🎨