Metaverse Isn’t Dead: The Sandbox Co-Founder on What Comes Next

During NFT Paris, BeInCrypto had the opportunity to interview Sébastien Borget, co-founder and COO of The Sandbox. As the metaverse market is projected to reach a value of $103.6 billion in 2025, platforms like The Sandbox—a decentralized, community-driven virtual world built on the Ethereum blockchain—are at the forefront of this digital revolution.

Beyond his pivotal role in shaping the metaverse, Borget has also co-founded Artverse, a digital art gallery and cultural hub nestled in Paris’s vibrant 3rd arrondissement. Established in 2024 alongside Arthur Madrid, Artverse bridges the gap between digital and physical art, offering a space where artists, collectors, and enthusiasts converge to explore and celebrate digital creativity. In this conversation, Borget delves into the future of the metaverse, the evolution of digital art, and the innovative endeavors of The Sandbox and Artverse.​

NFT Paris 2025 took place at Grandes Halles de La Vilette By 2024, the metaverse seems to have fallen short of expectations. What do you believe were the primary reasons?

“While early expectations may have been overly ambitious, projecting the sci-fi vision of a virtual reality-based metaverse, the ecosystem is still very young and ripe with opportunity for those willing to experiment with its current and future capabilities.

As with any emerging industry, success comes to those who prioritize building their core community while developing their product and ecosystem together. With that in mind, we’ve remained focused on our core products—Game Maker, Game Client, and VoxEdit—creating a more robust ecosystem that fosters creativity, connection, and fun.

At the same time, we’ve developed programs that support our creators and players through unique reward incentives, strong brand partnerships, and community-driven initiatives that unite our global user base in meaningful ways. These community-centric efforts, grounded in a strong, easy-to-use product, have allowed us to surpass over 2,000 new experiences published on The Sandbox Map, over 6.3 million wallets connected, and engagement with over 580,000 unique players during Alpha Season 4 last fall.

One of the biggest challenges has been fragmentation across blockchain platforms, making interoperability and cross-project collaboration a work in progress. This has required projects like The Sandbox to innovate new ways to collaborate and bring more value to Web3 users. Unlike traditional Web2 gaming platforms, we’re eager to collaborate with other Web3 projects and brands, curating avatar collections, offering LAND swaps so projects can launch their game in our ecosystem, and more, all in an effort to bring the broader Web3 ecosystem closer together and create more cross-platform value for our communities. 

Social gaming and metaverse platforms like The Sandbox are steadily growing, proving that the vision of a user-driven, decentralized virtual world is still very much alive.”

State of the metaverse in 2024

“Last year was a defining one for the metaverse—less about hype and more about tangible growth and evolution. While the industry as a whole navigated challenges like interoperability and shifting market expectations, we also saw significant strides in user experience and engagement.

Advances in VR, AR, and AI have revolutionized user interaction with virtual worlds, enhancing immersion and accessibility. At the same time, the demand for connectivity between different metaverse ecosystems became more pressing, prompting companies to develop solutions for greater interoperability and cross-platform functionality.

For The Sandbox, 2024 was a year of strong momentum, particularly in user-generated content (UGC). Our no-code Game Maker tools empowered more creators than ever, resulting in over 1,500 experiences published on The Sandbox Map.

Our creator community grew, surpassing 25,000 LAND Owners and 62,000 Avatar Owners, reflecting rising demand for digital assets. Alpha Season 4 was a success, drawing over 580,000 unique players who engaged with content, completed quests and transacted on-chain. This growth proves that people want to create, explore, and play in the metaverse, and as we move into 2025, we’re excited to continue expanding opportunities for creators and players, shaping the next era of virtual experiences.”

What are three factors that can revive the Metaverse hype in 2025?

“Alpha Season 4, which concluded in December 2024, reinforced the global appeal of socializing and playing in the metaverse. People crave new experiences they can enjoy with friends, whether through casual games, chat rooms, or friendly competition.

Alpha Season 4 delivered on this demand, and in 2025, we’re committed to expanding and enhancing these interactive experiences even further. As the appeal for social gaming metaverses grows more mainstream, seamless player onboarding will be critical.

In Web3, players must create a wallet and complete KYC verification, steps that can feel overwhelming to newcomers. A smooth onboarding experience ensures players quickly set up a complete user profile, unlocking full gameplay and earning opportunities.

Beyond onboarding, delivering the right content to players is key. With the metaverse offering countless worlds, helping users discover content that interests them is essential for both successful onboarding and long-term retention. Finally, expanding user-generated content (UGC) is vital.

As a UGC-driven platform, our mission is to empower 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 focus on releasing new features and products that support creators, enabling them to build games that people love and can’t stop playing.”

The Sandbox’s roadmap to win back attention in the metaverse sector?

“At The Sandbox, we’re always looking for new ways to bring fresh experiences and exciting partnerships to our community, and there’s plenty of content to be excited about in 2025. We’re doubling down on key strategic partnerships in music, entertainment, sports, and fashion to shape culture and engage new audiences through immersive experiences. We can’t reveal any new partners yet, but expect exciting new experiences and avatar collections to launch in the coming months.

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

Product innovations in Game Maker and Game Client will further push the boundaries of creation in The Sandbox. Some of these new features include persistency and matchmaking capabilities to make social and multiplayer experiences even better, a brand-new combat system, and an evaluation of alternative control options such as joystick support and mounting mechanics to bring vehicles, creatures, and new traversal options into gameplay.

In sum, these improvements will unlock more creative opportunities for those who build and design games in The Sandbox and create a more competitive, social gaming environment for players. Creators will also have more ways to earn in 2025 as we bring back the Builders Challenge for its third installation on February 26, with plans for routine iterations as the year progresses.

In 2025, we’ll maintain a strong presence at key live events, creating meaningful in-person connections with our diverse communities. We recently wrapped up NFT Paris, where we lit up the City of Lights with a series of exciting events—including the official NFT Paris party with DJ and UGC creator Agoria, a networking event with Digital Fashion Week, and a special gathering with Mocaverse.”

What are some practical applications of the metaverse that you think could gain traction in the next few years?

“The possibilities of the metaverse are limitless, with various practical applications for users that will gain traction as technology and user adoption continue to advance. The popularity of investing in virtual real estate has risen, with brands, businesses, and investors joining forces to purchase virtual land and create unique experiences.

We witnessed this growth in our own virtual LAND ecosystem as our community exceeded 25,000 unique owners in 2024. The use cases for virtual LAND will continue to evolve as game creation tools become more sophisticated, providing a launchpad for real-world integrations such as shopping, streaming content, and socializing with friends.

Imagine a real estate agent or company utilizing their plot of LAND to develop a miniature version of their home for sale, either to showcase the listing virtually or to include it as an added utility in the purchase package of the house. Music, a cornerstone of culture and everyday life, will continue to shape its place in the metaverse, as we’ve observed over the past few years.

Artists like Agoria and BLOND:ISH have employed the metaverse as a medium to unveil new music in a 3D, immersive environment, allowing their 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 perform well in the form of virtual concerts, which we expect to continue in 2025 as artists aim to reach their fans on a global scale. Lastly, fashion—serving as a form of self-expression, an extension of one’s virtual identity, and a way for brands to engage consumers in innovative ways—will expand in the coming years.

Now more than ever, individuals closely identify their avatars as extensions of their IRL 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.”

What role do you think AI will play in the metaverse’s future? How do you see the relationship between these technologies evolving in the coming years?

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

At The Sandbox, we’ve seen how AI can help users generate assets and design experiences faster, allowing them to focus on creativity rather than technical barriers. That said, we believe AI is a tool to enhance—not replace—human-driven creation. The metaverse is, at its core, a space built by people for people, and AI should serve as an enabler, helping creators bring their ideas to life while keeping the experience deeply personal and user-driven.”

Generative AI is becoming increasingly prominent. Do you think AI and the Metaverse have the potential to merge and complement each other, or do you believe that Generative AI will continue to dominate market interest exclusively?

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

Rather than diminishing the metaverse, AI enhances 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 shape the next generation of open, player-driven experiences.”

Artverse has just opened its doors as a curated digital art space within the metaverse, featuring immersive galleries and interactive NFT experiences. Can you elaborate on how Artverse differentiates itself from traditional NFT marketplaces and other metaverse art platforms? What unique features or partnerships are you most excited about that will drive engagement among both artists and collectors?

“Artverse differs from other NFT marketplaces because, while we primarily sell NFTs, our focus extends beyond digital transactions. We provide physical spaces where digital art can be experienced and appreciated in ways that feel familiar to traditional collectors.

We also differentiate ourselves from metaverse-based art platforms. To us, the metaverse is a tool—one of many—that shapes how people experience art, but the Artverse itself is much more expansive. We see the metaverse, along with AR, AI, and even NFTs, as technologies that influence contemporary culture. Artverse is not just a digital art gallery; it is a Culture House that bridges the digital and physical worlds.

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

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

To bridge this gap, Artverse has been forming strategic partnerships with two key objectives. First, educating traditional collectors about the unique value and potential of digital art and NFTs. Second, physical spaces should be created where digital art can be experienced in ways that resonate with 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 renowned artists like Zancan, Kevin Abosch, Claire Silver, and Takashi Murakami, among others.

We’ve also worked with NFT art platforms and communities such as 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 integrated 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 hope to foster an ongoing dialogue around art often underrepresented in Paris, contributing to a more diverse and inclusive cultural landscape.”

Collection of The Sandbox and Sebastien Borget, on display at Artverse Given the rapid expansion of digital art initiatives and the recent launch of Artverse, what strategies are in place to build and sustain a vibrant community around this new platform? In particular, how do you plan to bridge the gap between established art institutions and emerging digital creators while ensuring a seamless user experience in the metaverse?

“At The Sandbox, I’ve worked with gaming studios, fashion brands, and digital artists because our focus is on empowering players and creators. We want 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 experience working in different industries, I’ve learned the importance of fostering exchanges between communities. In my opinion, this is what keeps a platform vibrant, whether it’s brand-new or an established giant.

This ethos also guides my work at Artverse. We believe Web3 should be open to everyone, 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 collaborate 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 bring traditional art, digital art, and the metaverse together is our upcoming exhibition with Richard Orlinski, the world’s best-selling French contemporary artist since 2015. In this show, Orlinski pays tribute to an iconic figure of Web3 and cryptocurrency: the Shiba. To present this new creation—blending sculpture and digital art—he is exclusively partnering with Artverse. Each collector will receive both a physical Shiba sculpture and a corresponding digital NFT, which can be used in The Sandbox metaverse.

Richard Orlinski pays tribute to an iconic figure of Web3 and crypto: the Shiba.

I firmly believe that anyone can experience 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 longtime 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 day one—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.”