The Sandbox was initially just a mobile gaming smash hit created in 2011. In 2018, however, developer Pixowl scaled it up to become a blockchain-based game, and, two years later, native token SAND had its initial coin offering. The transition to blockchain technology was motivated by the ethos of wanting to provide creators with true ownership of their creations via NFTs, while also creating an in-game currency where users can play-to-earn and foster a self-sufficient economy.