Four-week jam starts 28 July with support from leading Hong Kong universities and partnersThe Sandbox and Animoca Brands today announced Creative Minds Jam #1, Hong Kong, a four-week competition challenging students, developers, and creators to build innovative content creator-centric experiences using Minds by Animoca Brands (“Minds”), a persistent, always-on agentic AI platform. The official community partner of the jam is Open Campus, a community-led DAO that is building the blockchain-powered financial layer for education.
The guiding theme of Creative Minds Jam #1 is "Build What Creators Need Next". With an aggregate of US$10,000 prize pool, the jam invites participants to explore how agentic AI can reshape digital experiences and help address challenges faced by today’s content creators and the broader creator economy, including discoverability, engagement, and workflow efficiency. Winners of the jam will also be considered for the Minds Investment Programme, which has an aggregate allocation of up to US$10 million, subject to the approval of the investment committee of the programme.
Submissions open on 28 July 2026, with a final showcase event in early September. The competition is open to all students, builders, developers, and creators, and no prior AI experience is required. Participants will be free to use any tools, provided that Minds agents are an integral part to their product submissions.
Minds is a persistent AI agent platform designed to reduce complexity while preserving control and customization for both builders and general users. It enables anyone to deploy and direct sovereign, always-on AI agents, known as Minds, without needing to operate local servers or manage hardware or software.
As the official community partner of Creative Minds Jam #1, Open Campus will support participants throughout the four weeks with weekly workshops including core Minds concepts, mentor-led sessions and speaking slots, and open office hours where teams can brainstorm and refine their submissions. Participants will also have access to a dedicated Open Campus community hub for the duration of the jam. Open Campus brings relevant experience to the jam through 18 months of building developer ecosystems for EDU Chain through bootcamps and incubation programmes, along with a 1,000-strong AI creator community.
Creative Minds Jam #1 is also supported by experts and leaders in education, including the Hong Kong Institute of Information Technology (HKIIT), Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI), Index Academy, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design (PolyU Design), and Hong Kong Designers Association (HKDA), alongside industry partners.
Submissions to the jam will be evaluated by a distinguished panel of judges based on creativity, technical execution, user experience, and the innovative use of agentic AI. Judges are drawn from multiple fields including education, technology, and creative industries:
Ansh Grey, creative director and founder, Axies GreyFoxBecky Wong, founder, Index AcademyProf. Benny Leong, professor of Practice (Design Practice) and director of SD Plus, School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityBowie Lau, managing director, MaGE GroupDerek Ting, creative director, Random Art WorkshopHo-Man Wong, senior lecturer, HKDIJay Leung, founder, Starz Group; vice chairman, HKDA; vice chairman, CIID Hong KongJonah Lau, project lead and core contributor, Open CampusJoyce Yung, visual content creator, producer, and author, Random Art WorkshopMohamed Ezeldin, head of Animoca Labs, Animoca BrandsRicky Ng, senior lecturer, HKIITRobby Yung, CEO of investments, Animoca Brands; CEO of The SandboxSébastien Borget, co-founder and ambassador, The SandboxYat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman, Animoca BrandsYusuf Goolamabbas, chief knowledge officer, Animoca Brands
Commentary from JudgesSébastien Borget, co-founder and ambassador of The Sandbox, said: “I’m excited to launch Creative Minds Jam #1 to solve real-world creator problems and step into the agentic web while learning new tools. Hong Kong has always been a thriving city where creativity meets rapid adoption of technology, whether it’s Web3, metaverse, or AI. Creative Minds Jam #1 gives students and creators, regardless of their technical background, the chance to explore how agentic AI can transform digital experiences.”
Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, said: "AI agents represent a shift from tools that require technical expertise to collaborators that can adapt to the user. In the creator economy, that means helping more people turn ideas into content, experiences, and businesses with greater speed and flexibility. Creative Minds Jam #1 is an invitation to students and creators in Hong Kong to experiment with these new forms of creative leverage and help shape the future of the agentic web."
Mohamed Ezeldin, head of Animoca Labs, the innovation team within Animoca Brands that is developing Minds, said: “One of the biggest opportunities in the agentic web is making it easier for more people to build, experiment, and bring new ideas to life. Creative Minds Jam #1 is about broadening access and giving students, creators, and developers the opportunity to build with Minds using familiar interfaces and accessible tools. Hong Kong has long been a place where creativity and technology move quickly, and I’m excited to see how this generation of builders uses these tools to turn bold ideas into practical experiences and real solutions.”
Ansh Grey, creative director and founder at Axies GreyFox, said: “AI agents will profoundly transform the creator economy, empowering creators to scale their creativity and unlock entirely new forms of value creation. Those who embrace AI today will help shape the future of the digital economy.”
How to applyApplications to the Creative Minds Jam# 1 will open on 28 July 2026. Visit the Creative Minds page on Dorahack at https://dorahacks.io/hackathon/creativeminds/details to pre-register now.
All participants in the Jam, as well as anyone interested in AI and Minds, are also encouraged to join the official Minds Telegram channel and the Open Campus WhatsApp community hub, where workshop schedules and office hours will be posted.
Timeline
28 July: Registration opens 30 July: Hong Kong in-person kick-off session28 August: Submission deadlineSeptember: Showcase event and results announcement
Hong Kong In-Person Kick-Off Event
For local participants, The Sandbox and Animoca Brands will host an in-person workshop with the Minds team at Animoca Brands’ headquarters on 30 July, offering attendees an opportunity to hear from some of the judges and meet with fellow jam participants. For more details and to register for this event, visit Luma.
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About Minds by Animoca Brands
Minds by Animoca Brands is a persistent AI agent platform that removes complexity while preserving full control and customization for both builders and general users. It enables anyone to deploy and direct sovereign, always-on AI agents, called Minds, without having to operate local servers or manage any hardware or software. Learn more at www.hellominds.ai.
About The Sandbox
The Sandbox, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, is an immersive metaverse platform in which users play, create, and monetize unique experiences alongside their favorite brands, IPs, and celebrities across gaming, entertainment, music, art, and more. The Sandbox leverages web3 technologies to fully enable end-user creation and creator economies, disrupting existing platforms by providing both Players and Creators with true ownership of their assets, creations, and rewards as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Over 400 partners have joined The Sandbox, including Warner Music Group, Gucci, Ubisoft, Paris Hilton, Attack on Titan, Snoop Dogg, Lacoste, Steve Aoki, The Smurfs, and many more. For more information, please visit www.sandbox.game and follow the regular updates on X, Medium, and Discord.
About Animoca Brands
Animoca Brands Corporation Limited (ACN: 122 921 813) is a global digital assets leader building and investing in impactful technologies and ecosystems to reimagine future economies through AI and the agentic web. It has received broad industry and market recognition including Fortune Crypto 40, Top 50 Blockchain Game Companies 2025, Financial Times’ High Growth Companies Asia-Pacific, and Deloitte Tech Fast. Animoca Brands is recognized for building digital asset platforms such as the Moca Network, Open Campus, Anichess, and The Sandbox, as well as institutional-grade platforms; providing digital asset services to help Web3 companies launch and grow; and investing in frontier Web3 technology, with a portfolio of over 600 companies and digital assets. For more information visit www.animocabrands.com or follow on X, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and TikTok.
Binance, the well-known centralized crypto exchange, has officially become a part of the Philippines market. In this respect, the SEC has granted the conclusive authorization to BlockShoals Technologies Inc. to begin testing the financial services and products under the Strategic Sandbox model. As per Yi He, the Chief Customer Service Officer and Co-Founder of Binance, the platform will play the role of BlockShoals’ global crypto-asset service provider (CASP) partner. Hence, BlockShoals will operate in line with a crypto-asset intermediary framework, letting Philippine-based consumers leverage selected services and products through Binance.
BlockShoals Selects Binance as CASP Partner in Philippines after SEC Sandbox Approval The Strategic Sandbox approval from the SEC permits BlockShoals to leverage Binance as a CASP partner to offer crypto-related services and products in the Philippines. Thus, Binance will be a critical player to onboard consumers after the completion of the integration with the native partners. The SEC approval delivers a controlled setting for fintech entities to test cutting-edge products while guaranteeing regulatory compliance.
For BlockShoals, this authorization is a gateway to unveiling advanced crypto-asset services within the Philippine market. With the use of the global infrastructure of Binance, BlockShoals endeavors to connect native demand with the wider international expertise. In this respect, it guarantees that consumers leverage transparent and secure digital asset access.
Apart from that, the collaboration highlights the rising significance of the exclusive regulatory sandboxes when it comes to advancing innovation while making no compromise on investor protection. Over ninety days, BlockShoals is to officially integrate its mechanisms with a regional virtual asset service provider collaborator. The respective integration is crucial to ensure that its operational models align with the fine international practices and local compliance benchmarks.
Binance Drives Strategic Expansion in Southeast Asia Binance considers this move as a key development for its wider adoption. According to Yi He, this serves as Binance’s strategic expansion into one of the top crypto markets in Southeast Asia. At the same time, the initiative reaffirms Binance’s wider commitment to integrating with regional networks while maintaining the worldwide reach. Overall, as integration moves forward, Philippine consumers can anticipate comprehensive access to diverse digital asset services, supported by international infrastructure and regulatory safeguards.
AUTHOR
Umair Younas is a cryptocurrency-related content writer linked with this work since 2019. Here, at Blockchainreporter, he serves as a news and article writer. He is a crypto, blockchain, NFTs, DeFi, and FinTech enthusiast. He has strong command over writing authentic reviews about brokers and exchanges and he has collaborated with our education team to write educational content as well. He has a dream to raise awareness among people about digital currencies. His works are well-researched and brimmed with information hence they provide fresh insights. Stay tuned to his posts if you want to stay up-to-date with the crypto-verse.
The SEC of the Philippines has authorized BlockShoals to commence the regulatory sandbox testing of the project, utilizing Binance as its partner. This move will enable Filipino consumers to access chosen crypto products through the Strategic Sandbox program in a supervised way. BlockShoals Technologies Inc. has been authorized by the Philippine SEC to undertake product testing through the Strategic Sandbox program. This move was triggered by BlockShoals completing further regulatory requirements after being cleared under the StratBox program in November 2025.
The Binance co-founder He Yi announced the news through social media, confirming Binance’s entry into the Philippines through the program. This is one more step made in the direction of the examination of blockchain-based financial services under a supervised regulatory regime. Philippine regulators keep on enhancing their testing programs.
The Strategic Sandbox enables firms to test innovative financial products before pursuing a wider commercial launch of the product. Regulatory bodies monitor and evaluate compliance, control systems, and consumer protection initiatives for the firms during every testing process.
Binance Supports Testing Phase of BlockShoals As per the approved framework, BlockShoals would operate using a crypto-asset intermediary structure that links local individuals with a number of digital asset products. The individuals in the Philippines will access their services via the crypto asset service provider partner network of BlockShoals internationally within the existing regulatory framework.
BlockShoals would use ninety days for integration of its systems. Also, with local virtual asset service provider partners before launching any testing phase. Once it completes the integration process, it will move ahead with its testing plans. Customer onboarding is part of the rollout process, where Binance acts as the Crypto Asset Service Provider Partner of BlockShoals during the sandbox exercise period.
SEC Conducts Blockchain Testing As stated by the Philippine SEC, the Strategic Sandbox was established to foster innovation within the financial sector despite regulation before widespread application. The companies enrolled in the program should complete their testing tasks before seeking further approvals or expansion. This shows that regulators continue applying a controlled testing environment for the evaluation of financial instruments powered by blockchain technology.
This approval comes after the Philippine SEC has taken steps towards building a regulatory framework. It surrounds digital assets in the country. It is also worth noting that the process of testing BlockShoals would be monitored by regulators. Before considering other blockchain initiatives in the future.
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The crypto market is flooded with GameFi projects that promise the next Fortnite and deliver nothing more than overpriced NFTs.
So it’s no wonder that investors ghosted tokens like SAND (The Sandbox) and MANA (Decentraland) after the metaverse mania cooled off. Once it occurred to them that virtual plots in pixelated universes aren’t exactly generational wealth, these cryptos plunged more than 95% to a point of no return.
The GameFi movement has been mostly lukewarm ever since.
But things are changing, and the coming crypto bull cycle could see another GameFi token race for the top charts. Let’s take a closer look at Tapzi ($TAPZI) – an underrated crypto gem trending among early backers now.
How Tapzi Redefines Gamefi Your success largely hinges on luck more than gameplay in GameFi, whether it’s the rewards you earn or the value appreciation of the token.
But if we take the long-term picture, it’s game mechanics that retain users, and gamers who drive the token price. Any project that compromises the interests of the gamer for the gamblers’ is likely to fail.
And the painful dissipation of the metaverse mania made it clear that hype is far from enough to build a serious gaming community.
Tapzi is a decentralized skill-based gaming platform that challenges the GameFi status quo.
Here, players can stake tokens to compete in real games – like Chess, Checkers, Rock-Paper-Scissors, or Tic Tac Toe – and unlock rewards as they hone their skills.
Crypto incentivization is integral to Tapzi’s gaming economy, but it doesn’t come at the cost of real engagement. Built on the BNB Chain, the project shows that the crypto gaming sector has more to offer than tokenomics and chance mechanics.
Tapzi’s Skill-Based Gaming Model: Explained Tapzi has a mobile-first design where you can play on the go.
On a commute or stuck in a boring meeting, you no longer have to mindlessly scroll through Instagram anymore.
Tapzi gives your mind a much-needed refresh with its skill-based games. And if you’re good enough, you can claim prize pools directly from opponent stakes. Being entirely funded by players, the prize pools don’t rely on a central treasury.
The entry barrier is set low, financially and technically.
Anybody can join the gasless gameplay, and there is even a free mode where you can get plenty of practice before shifting to the paid version.
Tapzi’s developer ecosystem is not limited to a single project. It provides SDKs and exposure to promising projects, aligned with its goal to build a hub for skill-based Web3 games.
All gaming rewards and payments are paid in $TAPZI tokens. The native crypto has a fixed supply of 5B, out of which 20% is made available for early backers at low prices in the ongoing presale.
25% of the presale tokens unlock at the TGE, and the remaining 75% follows a 3-month vesting schedule to prevent supply shocks. Team tokens, on the other hand, are locked for six months, and vested over 18 months.
Together, these strategies encourage long-term adoption of the game and nurture a sustainable gaming economy.
Entertainment doesn’t always have to be brain-rot. It can sometimes sharpen your mind and earn money, too.
Visit the Tapzi website for more details about the gaming hub and how it works.
More in Store Tapzi’s roadmap focuses on phased infrastructure development over feature overload, instilling confidence in its journey ahead.
For example, the demo game launch (Web Beta) is scheduled for this quarter, followed by the public release of Tapzi’s web-based multiplayer engine with sample games (Chess, Checkers, RPS, Tic Tac Toe), staking preview, and matchmaking.
Tapzi offers multi-layered rewards Alongside, the team will run user acquisition campaigns through gaming guilds, influencer partnerships, and paid traffic from high-conversion Web3 channels.
Once the presale is sold out, the token will make its exchange debut on PancakeSwap, with the launch of the $TAPZI/BNB pair.
In addition to these, the launch of the Tapzi Platform Beta (mainnet), the first global tournament with a live leaderboard and sponsored rewards, and the mobile gaming app debut are also slated for this quarter.
The next phases will focus on expansion and scaling. Some of the most awaited features are NFT avatars, cosmetic stores, cosmetic rarity system, analytic dashboard, and multilingual support.
Presale Hits 41% – The Next Crypto to Explode? The $TAPZI presale has already completed 41.6% of its goal, leaving investors with a small window to grab the token before it hits exchanges.
The token is currently priced at $0.0035, while the planned launch price is $0.01. So early presale investors are sitting on 186% profit even before the price action begins.
But what about early-stage dumping?
Tapzi has taken care of that, too. The vesting schedule prevents sell-offs and supports the token’s sustainable value appreciation.
And the smart contract has undergone extensive audits by Solidproof and Coinsult, clearing any concerns early-stage investors may have around code vulnerabilities and fraud.
Why join the $TAPZI presale But the project’s long-term growth is rooted in its gameplay, boldly shifting the focus from chance to skills.
The global gaming industry is predicted to cross $400B by 2028, with mobile gaming at its core, and Web3 gaming is expected to grow from $25B in 2024 to nearly $125B by 2032.
These numbers highlight what early positioning in a promising GameFi project like Tapzi could capture in a few years.
The $TAPZI presale supports purchases using both cryptocurrencies and fiat cards.
But as always, do your own research before investing in crypto. This is not financial advice.
Authored by Aaron Walker – https://www.newsbtc.com/news/tapzi-redefines-gamifi-next-altcoin-to-explode
META is back and has pushed SAND, AXS, and MANA higher. But network growth and liquidity trends still look weak.
The market leadership appears to have undergone a massive change since January 9th. Data shows that several small caps are taking charge while larger cryptocurrencies consolidate, driven by the resurgence of the META narrative.
Three tokens, in particular, have stolen the spotlight this month.
“Pocket Rally” Altcoin Vector explained that the latest trend is not a sign that the overall market is getting healthier, amidst falling network growth and weaker liquidity. In fact, the current rally is being touted as a “pocket rally,” fueled by speculation on thin liquidity rather than fundamental structural growth. Three tokens – SAND, AXS, and MANA- are at the center of this movement.
The platform found that Axie Infinity (AXS) is leading following tokenomic adjustments designed to reduce inflation, sparking renewed speculative interest across the gaming and metaverse ecosystem. Altcoin Vector’s Altcoin Quadrant shows that most altcoins remain in the “Accumulation” phase, while META assets have surged into “Scalp” territory, thereby marking them as outliers.
When comparing SAND and AXS, the latter demonstrated stronger performance as its Impulse metric stayed positive and steadily recovered after a brief cooldown. This indicates market recognition of Axie Infinity’s focus on ecosystem sustainability.
META Rally Remains a Speculative Play Despite the momentum, Altcoin Vector warned that speed does not equal stability. Small Caps are currently leading due to “fast capital” chasing immediate returns, but foundational growth remains absent. For a durable rally, adoption must rise, and dominance return to Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH).
“Ride the META narrative, but proceed with caution. For a sustained long-term rally, growth must stem from infrastructure and adoption, not just narrative. Without a solid base in core assets, this remains a speculative play.”
AXS is trading at $2.69. Over the past month, the token appreciated by 224.4%. Next up was MANA, which saw a monthly increase of nearly 47% and is currently trading at $0.169. Meanwhile, SAND was found exchanging hands at $0.157 after a more than 41% surge during the same period.
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PANews reported on February 10th that, according to SoSoValue data, the cryptocurrency market saw a slight rebound after a period of continuous decline. Bitcoin (BTC) rose 0.45% in the last 24 hours, fluctuating narrowly around the $70,000 mark. Ethereum (ETH) rose 3.15%, breaking through $2,100. Meanwhile, the GameFi sector performed relatively well, rising 2.24%, with Axie Infinity (AXS) rising 16.31% and The Sandbox (SAND) rising 1.85% within the sector.
In other sectors, the PayFi sector rose 2.10% in the last 24 hours, with Monero (XMR) up 6.22% and XRP (XRP) up 2.06%; the Meme sector rose 1.18%, with MemeCore (M) up 11.41%; the Layer 1 sector rose 0.89%, with Solana (SOL) up 1.58%; the CeFi sector rose 0.84%, with NEXO (NEXO) up 3.47%; the Layer 2 sector rose 0.37%, with zkSync (ZK) up 5.28%; and the DeFi sector rose 0.03%, with River (RIVER) up 7.79%.
In brief The Sandbox is rolling out its Season 7 content package featuring more user-created games and token rewards for players. With accessibility a key focus, players will be able to play some games directly from their web browser. The game is focused on adding and retaining players amid a difficult period in the crypto gaming industry. Crypto gaming ecosystem and metaverse platform The Sandbox is lowering the barriers to entry in its Season 7 rollout, enabling users to join select games directly from their browser without requiring downloads, installations, or an account.
The new season launch will also feature at least 20 creator-built experiences alongside a mix of those from established IP from partners, including Atari, “Black Mirror,” musician Steve Aoki, "The Terminator," and the Bruce Lee estate.
“Accessibility is definitely at the core of the launch of the season,” The Sandbox and Animoca Brands CEO Robby Yung told Decrypt.
“One of the challenges that we've had since the very earliest days is that we wanted to make this a user-generated content (UGC) platform for everybody,” he added. “But I think we have been held back in the past, honestly, by the kind of technical infrastructure that we put in place that we built it with.”
The team behind The Sandbox, which was acquired by Animoca Brands in 2018, has learned a lot in the last seven years. According to Yung, who took over the CEO role last August, the game is “kind of an old product” by blockchain standards. Since launch, the team recognized that “simple things”—like requiring big file downloads—can dissuade players from jumping in and playing.
A screenshot from The Sandbox Season 7. Image: The Sandbox"It's much easier if people can jump into a browser right away and engage in the experience quickly,” Yung said. “One of the things we're really pleased about is the browser-level ability to just jump right into The Sandbox. I think it is going to make a big difference, especially for people who are new to the experience.”
And while the developers will be watching lots of different metrics to evaluate the season, Yung said that retention—or the ability to bring people back to the game—will be of key importance.
"It's really about creating engagement that leads to retention as the north star metric,” he said.
With retention, Yung said that hopefully revenues should follow and create the potential for impact on token price as well—though he reiterated that all else is secondary to the game’s retention rate.
The price of SAND is down approximately 78% over the last year, per CoinGecko, amid a tough stretch in crypto gaming marked by investment broadly drying up across the industry. Many blockchain-based games shut down in 2025 and into early 2026 due to factors including a lack of funding and low player retention rates.
Players in The Sandbox ecosystem that keep coming back will have the opportunity to earn rewards in Season 7 as well, which is highlighted by a prize pool of more than 650,000 SAND or around $52,000 worth based on the ecosystem token’s current price.
A screenshot from The Sandbox Season 7. Image: The Sandbox“We're really excited,” said Yung of the Season 7 launch. “I think this is going to be the best season yet as far as content goes. And I think most importantly, it's all about the creators at the end of the day. Having more than 50% of the content coming from creators now, I think, is an overdue milestone for us.”
The ecosystem’s growing embrace of user-generated content mirrors that of other successful gaming platforms like Minecraft and Roblox. While The Sandbox has leaned on prominent brands and IP to drive interest across all of its seasons, the goal is ultimately for developers of all sorts to come in and create an ever-evolving array of experiences.
“We want to be a place where it's not just us making content that people enjoy and have fun with. It's also a place where any third-party, any player or professional developer, can come and create cool stuff and engage audiences—and do so in a way that benefits them,” he said.
“It's exactly what big platforms like Roblox are doing every day. But we want to do so in a way that's true to our Web3 values,” Yung added. “That basically means that there are low take rates, low transaction costs, and low infrastructure costs—so the benefit goes back to the creators and the IP holders.”
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The Sandbox opens pre-registration for NEXT mobile playtest built on Unreal Engine
18 March 2026
Following introduction of browser-based access in Season 7, The Sandbox opens pre-registration for playtesting NEXT, new mobile battle royale game
18 March 2026 – The Sandbox, an immersive gaming platform and subsidiary of Animoca Brands, today opened pre-registration for the playtest of NEXT, its first dedicated mobile battle royale game. NEXT is built on Unreal Engine, a significant technical shift for The Sandbox, which has historically run on Unity. Register for free at sandbox.game/next.
NEXT is a mobile battle royale game in which players carry over their identity, progression, and assets from The Sandbox game platform. NEXT provides players with a fast-paced, replayable PvP experience that connects intense and skill-demanding gameplay with the broader player-driven ecosystem of The Sandbox, where player avatars extend beyond a single match.
Players of NEXT are dropped into the Desert, an open-terrain environment built around sightlines and long-range combat, or the City, a vertical, close-quarters map that rewards adaptability. Matches support solo play or multiplayer groups of up to 20 players per instance.
NEXT will serve as a new entry point into The Sandbox, where playing, collecting, and expressing identity all converge. The mobile launch represents a major step for one of web3’s most established entertainment brands, with more than 400 brand and IP partners spanning gaming, music, fashion and culture, including Warner Music Group, Gucci, Ubisoft, Snoop Dogg and Lacoste.
Season 7 of The Sandbox, which is currently ongoing, introduced three browser-based games as a frictionless entry point to The Sandbox ecosystem. Now, with the NEXT playtest, The Sandbox is taking steps to integrate additional experiences via mobile.
“Like our recent launch of WebGL games, NEXT is part of our plan to increase the reach of The Sandbox so players can discover, play and come back more often, whether they’re on desktop or on their phone,” said Robby Yung, CEO of The Sandbox. “The goal is to meet people where they spend their time. A native mobile experience in addition to the desktop version makes that possible in a way browser access alone can’t.”
Registration for NEXT playtest is now open until 25 March 2026 at 2 p.m. (UTC), with limited spots assigned on a first-come first-served basis. The playtest begins on 26 March, with additional features rolling out as NEXT evolves. Register now at sandbox.game/next.
For more information about The Sandbox and the NEXT mobile app playtest, visit sandbox.game/blog and follow The Sandbox on X, Discord, and Instagram for regular updates.
###
About The Sandbox
The Sandbox, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, is an immersive metaverse platform in which users play, create, and monetize unique experiences alongside their favorite brands, IPs, and celebrities across gaming, entertainment, music, art, and more. The Sandbox leverages web3 technologies to fully enable end-user creation and creator economies, disrupting existing platforms by providing both Players and Creators with true ownership of their assets, creations, and rewards as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Over 400 partners have joined The Sandbox, including Warner Music Group, Gucci, Ubisoft, Paris Hilton, Attack on Titan, Snoop Dogg, Lacoste, Steve Aoki, The Smurfs, and many more. For more information, please visit www.sandbox.game and follow the regular updates on X, Medium, and Discord.
About Animoca Brands
Animoca Brands Corporation Limited (ACN: 122 921 813) is a global digital assets leader building and investing in impactful technologies and ecosystems to reimagine future economies. It has received broad industry and market recognition including Fortune Crypto 40, Top 50 Blockchain Game Companies 2025, Financial Times’ High Growth Companies Asia-Pacific, and Deloitte Tech Fast. Animoca Brands is recognized for building digital asset platforms such as the Moca Network, Open Campus, Anichess, and The Sandbox, as well as institutional-grade platforms; providing digital asset services to help Web3 companies launch and grow; and investing in frontier Web3 technology, with a portfolio of over 600 companies and digital assets. For more information visit www.animocabrands.com or follow on X, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and TikTok.
The Sandbox opens pre-registration for playtesting The Sandbox NEXT, new mobile game
LOS ANGELES, March 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Sandbox, an immersive gaming platform and subsidiary of Animoca Brands, today opened pre-registration for the playtest of The Sandbox NEXT, marking for the franchise a going back to its roots after 40 million historical downloads on mobile. The Sandbox NEXT is built by Unreal Engine, a significant technical shift for The Sandbox, which has historically run on Unity. Register for free at sandbox.game/next.
The Sandbox NEXT offers a multiplayer extraction and survival mobile gameplay in which players carry over their identity, progression, and all the voxel assets from The Sandbox game platform, including UGC and branded ones. The Sandbox NEXT provides players with a fast-paced, replayable PvP experience that connects intense and skill-demanding gameplay with the broader player-driven ecosystem of The Sandbox, where player avatars from over 56 collections of branded Avatars (Snoop Dogg, Attack on Titan, Smiley, Steve Aoki, Paris Hilton, Smurf, etc) extend beyond a single match.
Players of The Sandbox NEXT are dropped into the Desert, an open-terrain environment built around sightlines and long-range combat, or the City, a vertical, close-quarters map that rewards adaptability. Matches support solo play or multiplayer groups of up to 20 players per instance.
The Sandbox NEXT will serve as a new entry point into The Sandbox, where playing, collecting, and expressing identity all converge. The mobile launch represents a major step for one of web3’s most established entertainment brands, with more than 400 brand and IP partners spanning gaming, music, fashion and culture, including Warner Music Group, Gucci, Ubisoft, Snoop Dogg and Lacoste.
Season 7 of The Sandbox, which is currently ongoing, introduced three browser-based games as a frictionless entry point to The Sandbox ecosystem. Now, with The Sandbox NEXT playtest, The Sandbox is taking steps to integrate additional experiences via mobile.
“Like our recent launch of WebGL games, The Sandbox NEXT is part of our plan to increase the reach of The Sandbox so players can discover, play and come back more often, whether they’re on desktop or on their phone,” said Robby Yung, CEO of The Sandbox. “The goal is to meet people where they spend their time. A native mobile experience in addition to the desktop version makes that possible in a way browser access alone can’t.”
Registration for The Sandbox NEXT playtest is now open until 25 March 2026 at 2 p.m. (UTC), with limited spots assigned on a first-come first-served basis. The playtest begins on 26 March, with additional features rolling out as The Sandbox NEXT evolves. Register now at sandbox.game/next.
For more information about The Sandbox NEXT mobile app playtest, visit sandbox.game/blog and follow The Sandbox on X, Discord, and Instagram for regular updates.
About The Sandbox
The Sandbox, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, is an immersive metaverse platform in which users play, create, and monetize unique experiences alongside their favorite brands, IPs, and celebrities across gaming, entertainment, music, art, and more. The Sandbox leverages web3 technologies to fully enable end-user creation and creator economies, disrupting existing platforms by providing both Players and Creators with true ownership of their assets, creations, and rewards as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Over 400 partners have joined The Sandbox, including Warner Music Group, Gucci, Ubisoft, Paris Hilton, Attack on Titan, Snoop Dogg, Lacoste, Steve Aoki, The Smurfs, and many more. For more information, please visit www.sandbox.game and follow the regular updates on X, Medium, and Discord.
About Animoca Brands
Animoca Brands Corporation Limited (ACN: 122 921 813) is a global digital assets leader building and investing in impactful technologies and ecosystems to reimagine future economies. It has received broad industry and market recognition including Fortune Crypto 40, Top 50 Blockchain Game Companies 2025, Financial Times’ High Growth Companies Asia-Pacific, and Deloitte Tech Fast. Animoca Brands is recognized for building digital asset platforms such as the Moca Network, Open Campus, Anichess, and The Sandbox, as well as institutional-grade platforms; providing digital asset services to help Web3 companies launch and grow; and investing in frontier Web3 technology, with a portfolio of over 600 companies and digital assets. For more information visit www.animocabrands.com or follow on X, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and TikTok.
PANews reported on April 15th that, according to SoSoValue data, the crypto market experienced overall volatility and divergence, with most sectors declining. The GameFi sector fell 5.02% in the last 24 hours, with The Sandbox (SAND) and Axie Infinity (AXS) falling 2.41% and 1.94% respectively. Only the CeFi and Meme sectors remained relatively resilient, rising 0.40% and 0.23% respectively. Within the CeFi sector, Gate (GT) rose 2.52%, and Binance Coin (BNB) rose 0.66%. In the Meme sector, Binance Life continued its significant upward trend, surging 66.27%.
In addition, Bitcoin (BTC) rose 0.40% to $74,000, having briefly broken through $76,000 during the session; Ethereum (ETH) pulled back 1.28%, having broken through the $2,400 mark during the session.
In other sectors, the PayFi sector fell 0.30% in the last 24 hours, while SafePal (SFP) rose 1.60%; the Layer 1 sector fell 0.53%, but TRON (TRX) rose 0.96%; the DeFi sector fell 0.68%, while Genius (GENIUS), which was newly launched yesterday, rose 24.72%; the Layer 2 sector fell 1.90%, and Mantle (MNT) fell 3.45%.
Jefferies: Samsung is likely to follow SK Hynix’s example to list in the US via ADRs.
Jeff Kim, Head of Research at Jefferies, said Samsung is likely to follow SK Hynix in listing on the U.S. market via American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), which will boost the share price of the South Korean chipmaker whose valuation lags behind Micron. "Chip stocks are at a turning point. ADRs will serve as an important catalyst to drive their valuations," he added.
7 minutes ago
UBS and TD Cowen sharply raise Arm’s target price, betting on a revaluation of Arm’s AI data center CPU value.
Arm’s stock price pulled back this week alongside the high-valuation AI sector, though some Wall Street analysts say the correction does not alter the company’s long-term standing in AI data centers. UBS sharply raised Arm’s price target from $260 to $470, retaining its Buy rating; TD Cowen lifted its target from $265 to $475, also keeping a Buy recommendation. Both firms share the view that as agentic AI evolves, CPUs could gain greater importance in data center architectures, rather than GPUs continuing to monopolize the investment narrative. TD Cowen believes that over the long term, CPUs could hold a more strategic position in certain AI workloads. UBS, meanwhile, emphasizes that the real debate in the market centers on the revenue potential of Arm’s self-developed or independent CPU business. The bank projects Arm’s CPU-related revenue could reach around $14 billion by 2030, though the company itself has stated this business will not have a material impact on its finances until fiscal 2028. Arm’s strengths lie in low latency and energy efficiency—metrics that major cloud providers are increasingly prioritizing as they expand AI infrastructure. Even with its stock pulling back from recent highs in the short term, analysts still view Arm as one of the key beneficiaries of the server CPU upgrade cycle.
7 minutes ago
Crypto whale who profited over $23.77 million from BAT ICO liquidates 27,586 ETH
According to monitoring by Yu Jing, a whale that earned $23.77 million from participating in the BAT ICO sold 15,000 ETH (valued at roughly $24.29 million) two hours ago. The whale has now fully liquidated all 27,586 ETH it received from selling 35 million BAT on-chain over the past day and a half, converting the proceeds into 44.836 million USDS at an average selling price of $1,625.
7 minutes ago
Sources: Iraqi officials once considered withdrawing from OPEC, but current plans are to remain a member and pursue a higher quota.
A senior Iraqi oil ministry official said that if OPEC quotas are not significantly increased, Iraq will be forced to consider all available options. Sources said Iraqi officials had considered withdrawing from OPEC, but the current plan is to remain a member and push for higher quotas. (Jinshi)
7 minutes ago
Kepler Cheuvreux raises ASML’s European share price target from €1,460 to €1,830.
Kepler Cheuvreux has raised the target price for ASML’s European shares from €1,460 to €1,830.
7 minutes ago
Stifel: U.S. economy in "overheated expansion" as AI investment cycle outweighs consumer pressure
U.S. large diversified financial services holding company Stifel has raised its year-end S&P 500 target and rolled out a stock allocation framework for a "high-growth, high-inflation" environment. The firm lifted its year-end S&P 500 target to 7,800 points, noting the U.S. economy is entering a "running hot" state—where economic growth is strengthening alongside mounting inflationary pressure. Stifel’s models show U.S. growth momentum is picking up while inflation momentum is clearly overheating, a trend that will reshape the market’s leading sector structure in the second half of the year. Instead of traditional consumer sectors, Stifel’s top picks are investment-led cyclical industries, including banks, transportation, materials, energy, semiconductors, software and equipment. The firm adds that fixed-asset investment in AI remains on the rise: large tech firms including Amazon, Microsoft, Meta and Google are projected to combine for roughly $725 billion in total capital expenditures in 2026, some $100 billion higher than prior estimates. This means the AI investment chain is likely to continue outperforming the consumption chain squeezed by inflation. Stifel advises investors to reduce exposure to discretionary consumer, consumer staples, communication services and some financial services sectors, as these areas see weaker earnings revisions. Conversely, the firm favors cyclical value stocks and hedges with defensive value sectors such as insurance, autos, energy and banks.
PANews reported on May 21 that, according to The Block, the wife of Sebastien Borget, co-founder and COO of The Sandbox, was recently the victim of an attempted kidnapping at her home in Villenoy, Seine-et-Marne, France. The report, citing French media, stated that a suspect posing as a deliveryman rang the doorbell to lure her in, after which five hooded accomplices broke into the yard and attempted to force her into a vehicle. Neighbors intervened, and the suspects fled. Police subsequently intercepted a ride-hailing vehicle and arrested two teenage suspects, recovering a toy handgun, restraints, and a hood at the scene. Preliminary investigations suggest the incident is related to cryptocurrency; France has recorded over 100 kidnapping or attempted kidnapping incidents related to crypto assets since 2023.
A failed kidnapping attempt targeted the wife of The Sandbox’s chief operating officer at their home in France, marking yet another violent incident in what has become a deeply unsettling trend across the country’s crypto community.
The attempt was unsuccessful. But the fact that it happened at all sends a clear signal: if you’re connected to crypto wealth in France, you and your family are potential targets.
A pattern that’s impossible to ignore This wasn’t a random crime. The attack fits neatly into a wave of kidnapping attempts that have targeted individuals and families linked to cryptocurrency in France, with a particular concentration around the Paris area.
What makes this trend especially chilling is the targeting methodology. Attackers aren’t going after the executives directly. They’re going after spouses, children, and other family members, people who likely have no involvement in crypto operations but serve as leverage against those who do.
Think of it as the criminal world’s version of a phishing attack. You don’t need to breach the most fortified target when a softer one gets you the same result.
French authorities have been investigating multiple similar cases, treating them as organized crime operations rather than isolated incidents. The sophistication suggests these aren’t opportunistic street criminals. These are planned operations with surveillance, coordination, and a clear understanding of who holds crypto wealth and where they live.
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The Sandbox, for context, is one of the most prominent metaverse and gaming platforms in Web3. Its native token, SAND, powers a virtual world where users can build, own, and monetize digital experiences. The platform has partnered with major brands and entertainment companies, making its leadership team publicly visible figures in the crypto space, exactly the kind of visibility that apparently draws unwanted attention.
Why France has become ground zero France’s relationship with crypto is complicated. The country has positioned itself as one of Europe’s more welcoming jurisdictions for digital asset companies, attracting talent and capital. Paris has become a genuine hub for blockchain startups and established crypto firms alike.
But that concentration of crypto wealth in a relatively small geographic area has created an unintended consequence. It’s essentially painted a target on an entire community.
Here’s the thing about crypto wealth: it’s simultaneously public and private in the worst possible combination. Blockchain transactions are visible on-chain, making it possible to estimate holdings. Yet the assets themselves can be transferred quickly and pseudonymously, which makes them attractive to criminals who want to extract ransom without the friction of traditional banking systems.
In English: criminals can roughly figure out who’s rich from public blockchain data, and they know that crypto can be sent anywhere in the world in minutes without a bank freezing the transaction. That’s a dangerous combination when paired with physical violence.
The French authorities’ decision to treat these cases as organized crime reflects the scale of the problem. These aren’t copycat crimes inspired by headlines. They appear to be coordinated campaigns by criminal networks that have identified crypto-linked families as high-value, relatively accessible targets.
What this means for the crypto industry The security conversation in crypto has always centered on digital threats. Hacks, exploits, rug pulls, phishing scams. The industry has built an entire infrastructure around protecting private keys and smart contracts.
Physical security has been an afterthought for most people in the space. That calculus is changing rapidly, at least for anyone with meaningful public exposure.
The trend of targeting family members rather than executives directly creates a particularly difficult security problem. A CEO can hire personal bodyguards, vary their routine, and maintain operational security. Extending that same level of protection to every family member, at all times, is exponentially harder and more expensive.
Some crypto executives have responded to these threats by relocating entirely, leaving France or other high-risk areas for jurisdictions where they’re less likely to be targeted. Others have invested heavily in private security. Neither solution is ideal, and both represent a real cost of doing business in crypto that doesn’t get discussed in pitch decks or tokenomics papers.
For investors in projects like The Sandbox, the direct financial impact of an incident like this is likely minimal. SAND’s price isn’t going to move because of a failed kidnapping attempt. But the broader trend matters. If France’s crypto hub becomes synonymous with physical danger, talent will leave. And talent migration has real consequences for the projects and ecosystems built there.
The uncomfortable reality is that crypto’s transparency, one of its most celebrated features, has become a liability in the physical world. On-chain wealth is legible to anyone who knows where to look, and criminal organizations have clearly learned to look. Until the industry develops better norms around personal security, or until law enforcement catches up to the organized networks behind these attacks, the people building Web3 and their families will remain targets.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
In brief Six suspects allegedly targeted the wife of Sébastien Borget, co-founder and COO of The Sandbox, at their home in Villenoy, Seine-et-Marne, this week. Two teenagers were arrested in connection with the incident, while four other suspects remain at large. The incident adds to France's surge in crypto-targeted violence, with 135 kidnapping attempts recorded since 2023. The wife of Sébastien Borget, co-founder of metaverse gaming platform The Sandbox, was targeted in a kidnapping attempt at their French home this week, according to reports in local media.
Per police sources cited in Le Journal de Dimanche, one individual approached the Borget residence in Villenoy, Seine-et-Marne disguised as a deliveryman and carrying a cardboard box. When Borget’s wife opened the gate, five accomplices rushed into the courtyard and attempted to drag her into a Citroën C3, only abandoning the kidnap attempt when neighbors intervened.
Two teenagers were arrested in connection with the alleged kidnapping attempt, identified as Mateo V., born in 2010, and Walid H., born in 2009, both from Pantin in Seine-Saint-Denis.
Authorities allegedly discovered the pair carrying a fake handgun, zip-tie restraints, and balaclavas at the time of their arrest. Four others suspected of participating in the incident remain at large.
In a tweet, Borget said he was "truly touched" by the messages of support he had received in the wake of the incident, adding, "Thank you for the outpouring of love, thoughtful messages, and deeply caring words for my family."
💙 Thank you for the outpouring of love, thoughtful messages, and deeply caring words for my family. We’re truly touched by your kindness and support.
— Sebastien 🏞 (@borgetsebastien) May 21, 2026
France and crypto kidnappingsFrance has emerged as an epicenter of so-called “wrench attacks,” in which crypto owners are threatened with kidnapping and physical violence in order to force them to give access to their wallets. Per JDD, the National Directorate of the Judicial Police has recorded 41 crypto-linked kidnapping attempts since the start of the year.
To date, there have been 135 total crypto-related kidnapping incidents in France documented since 2023—representing nearly 80% of all European cases. The surge has prompted urgent government intervention, with 88 charged across 12 active judicial investigations, and heightened security concerns among blockchain executives.
Last month, Jonathan Riss, Blockchain Intelligence Analyst at CertiK, told Decrypt that France "ranks among the top three countries worldwide for personal data breaches," citing a leak at national ID agency ANTS that exposed the personal data of 12 million citizens.
The latest kidnap attempt follows several high-profile crypto-targeted crimes in the country, including the kidnapping and mutilation of Ledger co-founder David Balland, a home invasion attempt targeting Binance France’s CEO, and the abduction of a magistrate and her mother for a crypto ransom.
French officials have scrambled to address the crisis. During Paris Blockchain Week 2026, Minister Delegate Jean-Didier Berger unveiled preventive measures including a dedicated prevention platform, while select French cryptocurrency entrepreneurs and their families have been assigned enhanced security.
Daily Debrief NewsletterStart every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.
Near Paris, the wife of Sebastien Borget, co-founder of the popular blockchain-based metaverse platform The Sandbox, narrowly escaped an attempted kidnapping reportedly linked to cryptocurrency. The dramatic incident unfolded at the couple’s residence in the Seine-et-Marne area, raising fresh concerns over the personal security risks facing prominent figures in the crypto industry.
Masked assailants ambush the homeAccording to French media reports, the attack occurred around 8:30 PM on Tuesday evening. A man posing as a delivery courier approached the house and convinced someone to open the door. As soon as the door opened, multiple masked intruders forced their way inside, grabbed Borget’s wife, and tried to force her into a waiting Citroën C3 car parked outside the property.
Neighbors, alerted by the woman’s screams, intervened immediately, prompting the attackers to flee the scene. Police confirmed that the victim was unharmed in the ordeal.
Police responded promptly and detained two suspects soon after the incident. However, authorities believe six individuals were involved and are still searching for the remaining four. Investigators suspect the victim may have been targeted specifically because of her husband’s high profile and visibility in the cryptocurrency sector.
What is The Sandbox?Mini Glossary: The Sandbox is a leading metaverse platform built on the Ethereum blockchain, allowing users to interact with virtual land and digital assets such as NFTs.
France has seen a marked increase in crimes tied to cryptocurrency in recent months. Across many cities and countries, reports have surfaced of physical assaults and robberies targeting well-known figures in the digital assets world.
Initial police evaluations suggest the primary motive was Borget’s strong public standing in the crypto space. Crypto assets, with their anonymous and rapid transactions, are often exploited in cases of physical assault and extortion.
Companies tighten security after high-profile attacksA series of physical attacks targeting crypto insiders has sparked urgent debate across the industry. Blockchain analytics firm Specter recently revealed that a user connected to Kraken and Coinbase exchanges lost roughly $6.7 million in digital assets following a violent assault. The stolen funds included Bitcoin, Ethereum, and cbBTC tokens, with some assets funneled through the privacy-focused Tornado Cash protocol.
Mini Glossary: Tornado Cash is a mixer protocol on the Ethereum network that anonymizes digital asset transactions, a feature often misused in unlawful activity.
In response to this surge in attacks, major crypto companies have dramatically increased their investment in security. According to Bloomberg, some exchanges now spend millions of dollars to protect senior executives and their families, in addition to boosting safety measures for employees.
Leading exchanges such as Coinbase and Gemini have announced efforts to expand their private security teams and roll out advanced safety protocols for personnel in especially exposed positions.
Since crypto can be quickly and irreversibly transferred, digital asset holders are increasingly vulnerable to physical attacks, prompting law enforcement to seek new strategies to address this emerging risk.
A pattern appears to be emerging in France, with recent cases involving violence, robbery, and attempted abductions showing a common thread: the victims are often individuals with considerable holdings or management of digital assets.
Police continue their search for the remaining suspects involved in the kidnapping attempt targeting Borget’s wife, as security concerns escalate for the crypto elite in France and beyond.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.
According to law enforcement disclosures in France, organized criminal groups executed a targeted kidnapping attempt against the wife of Sebastien Borget, the prominent co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of decentralized metaverse gaming ecosystem The Sandbox. The calculated assault occurred at the couple’s family residence in Villenoy, located within the Seine-et-Marne region, where an operative disguised as a commercial delivery worker managed to breach the perimeter security. Upon opening the residential gate, five hooded accomplices ambushed the executive’s spouse, using physical force in a coordinated attempt to drag her into a waiting getaway vehicle. The operation was ultimately thwarted by the rapid intervention of nearby residents who responded to the victim’s cries, compelling the criminal cell to scatter and abandon the scene.
Minors Recruited as Disposable Proxies to Navigate Advanced Forensic Tracking Interceptions This alarming security breach has exposed a sophisticated, highly decentralized tactical shift in how regional syndicates execute physical cryptocurrency extortion. Following the failed abduction, regional units from the Meaux Anti-Crime Brigade in France successfully intercepted a ride-hailing vehicle, detaining two suspects who were found in possession of a tactical bag containing a replica handgun, zip-tie restraints, and balaclavas. Strikingly, judicial police records revealed that the apprehended individuals were minors born in 2009 and 2010, hailing from the Seine-Saint-Denis district. Intelligence agencies report that digital syndicates are increasingly leveraging encrypted messaging applications to recruit highly disposable, underage operatives, insulating the core organizers from direct exposure. These young proxies are paid nominal sums to carry out high-risk physical field operations, presenting a severe structural challenge to traditional counter-terrorism and judicial enforcement protocols across the continent, as the criminal masterminds remain completely anonymous behind decentralized communication layers.
Sovereign Enforcement Demands Mount as Western Europe Combats Distressed Wrench Attacks The targeting of a high-profile metaverse executive’s family marks a terrifying escalation in what sovereign authorities are now classifying as an organized national security crisis. Statistical registries compiled by the National Directorate of the Judicial Police reveal that France has become the definitive regional epicenter for crypto-related physical violence, logging forty-one distinct kidnapping or abduction attempts since the commencement of this calendar year alone. This staggering volume represents nearly eighty percent of all documented digital asset extortion cases across the entire European continent. The rapid multiplication of these violent operations—frequently labeled as wrench attacks due to the use of physical duress to force instantaneous blockchain ledger transfers—has driven intense pressure onto state regulators to implement emergency protection architectures. In response, administrative delegations have fast-tracked specialized prevention platforms and elite surveillance task forces, warning public Web3 figures to immediately minimize their online overexposure to safeguard their immediate families from hostile, data-driven physical targeting.
About the Author: Karthik Subramanian
Karthik Subramanian is a founder, writer, and technology consultant with nine years in the crypto ecosystem. He covers token economics, L1/L2 infrastructure, DeFi protocols, wallets/custody, and the bridge between crypto and forex—broker technology, liquidity, and macro drivers. Karthik’s writing focuses on clear, practical frameworks that help professionals evaluate new products and on-chain innovation alongside FX market realities.
In brief Six suspects allegedly targeted the wife of Sébastien Borget, co-founder and COO of The Sandbox, at their home in Villenoy, Seine-et-Marne, this week. Two teenagers were arrested in connection with the incident, while four other suspects remain at large. The incident adds to France's surge in crypto-targeted violence, with 135 kidnapping attempts recorded since 2023. The wife of Sébastien Borget, co-founder of metaverse gaming platform The Sandbox, was targeted in a kidnapping attempt at their French home this week, according to reports in local media.
Per police sources cited in Le Journal de Dimanche, one individual approached the Borget residence in Villenoy, Seine-et-Marne disguised as a deliveryman and carrying a cardboard box. When Borget’s wife opened the gate, five accomplices rushed into the courtyard and attempted to drag her into a Citroën C3, only abandoning the kidnap attempt when neighbors intervened.
Two teenagers were arrested in connection with the alleged kidnapping attempt, identified as Mateo V., born in 2010, and Walid H., born in 2009, both from Pantin in Seine-Saint-Denis.
Authorities allegedly discovered the pair carrying a fake handgun, zip-tie restraints, and balaclavas at the time of their arrest. Four others suspected of participating in the incident remain at large.
In a tweet, Borget said he was "truly touched" by the messages of support he had received in the wake of the incident, adding, "Thank you for the outpouring of love, thoughtful messages, and deeply caring words for my family."
💙 Thank you for the outpouring of love, thoughtful messages, and deeply caring words for my family. We’re truly touched by your kindness and support.
— Sebastien 🏞 (@borgetsebastien) May 21, 2026
France and crypto kidnappingsFrance has emerged as an epicenter of so-called “wrench attacks,” in which crypto owners are threatened with kidnapping and physical violence in order to force them to give access to their wallets. Per JDD, the National Directorate of the Judicial Police has recorded 41 crypto-linked kidnapping attempts since the start of the year.
To date, there have been 135 total crypto-related kidnapping incidents in France documented since 2023—representing nearly 80% of all European cases. The surge has prompted urgent government intervention, with 88 charged across 12 active judicial investigations, and heightened security concerns among blockchain executives.
Last month, Jonathan Riss, Blockchain Intelligence Analyst at CertiK, told Decrypt that France "ranks among the top three countries worldwide for personal data breaches," citing a leak at national ID agency ANTS that exposed the personal data of 12 million citizens.
The latest kidnap attempt follows several high-profile crypto-targeted crimes in the country, including the kidnapping and mutilation of Ledger co-founder David Balland, a home invasion attempt targeting Binance France’s CEO, and the abduction of a magistrate and her mother for a crypto ransom.
French officials have scrambled to address the crisis. During Paris Blockchain Week 2026, Minister Delegate Jean-Didier Berger unveiled preventive measures including a dedicated prevention platform, while select French cryptocurrency entrepreneurs and their families have been assigned enhanced security.
Daily Debrief NewsletterStart every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.
The Sandbox launched The Sandbox Studio on June 9, an AI-native game engine that lets creators go from a written description to a playable, live multiplayer game entirely in the browser. No downloads. No installs.
The core pitch is deceptively simple. Type what you want your game to be, and the engine builds it. The resulting games can be distributed across browser, mobile, and desktop, with The Sandbox planning future integration on platforms like Telegram and Steam.
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The company says over 400 studios and thousands of games have contributed to the development of The Sandbox Studio. It means the engine’s built-in templates and workflows are informed by actual player behavior and retention data, not theoretical game design principles.
CEO Robby Yung drew a sharp line between The Sandbox Studio and the growing pile of AI coding assistants flooding the market.
“AI tools generate code. The Sandbox Studio generates games. Players will see the difference.”
The platform is opening an alpha phase for early participants. Those who get in will have access to game jams, feedback channels, early testing opportunities, and monetization through AI token grants.
The SAND token remains the economic backbone of the whole operation, alongside LAND parcels and digital assets that have been part of The Sandbox ecosystem for years.
The planned expansion to Telegram and Steam distribution is worth monitoring closely. If The Sandbox can place creator-built games on those platforms natively, it transforms from a walled-garden metaverse into something closer to a cross-platform game publishing engine.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Jefferies: Samsung is likely to follow SK Hynix’s example to list in the US via ADRs.
Jeff Kim, Head of Research at Jefferies, said Samsung is likely to follow SK Hynix in listing on the U.S. market via American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), which will boost the share price of the South Korean chipmaker whose valuation lags behind Micron. "Chip stocks are at a turning point. ADRs will serve as an important catalyst to drive their valuations," he added.
6 minutes ago
UBS and TD Cowen sharply raise Arm’s target price, betting on a revaluation of Arm’s AI data center CPU value.
Arm’s stock price pulled back this week alongside the high-valuation AI sector, though some Wall Street analysts say the correction does not alter the company’s long-term standing in AI data centers. UBS sharply raised Arm’s price target from $260 to $470, retaining its Buy rating; TD Cowen lifted its target from $265 to $475, also keeping a Buy recommendation. Both firms share the view that as agentic AI evolves, CPUs could gain greater importance in data center architectures, rather than GPUs continuing to monopolize the investment narrative. TD Cowen believes that over the long term, CPUs could hold a more strategic position in certain AI workloads. UBS, meanwhile, emphasizes that the real debate in the market centers on the revenue potential of Arm’s self-developed or independent CPU business. The bank projects Arm’s CPU-related revenue could reach around $14 billion by 2030, though the company itself has stated this business will not have a material impact on its finances until fiscal 2028. Arm’s strengths lie in low latency and energy efficiency—metrics that major cloud providers are increasingly prioritizing as they expand AI infrastructure. Even with its stock pulling back from recent highs in the short term, analysts still view Arm as one of the key beneficiaries of the server CPU upgrade cycle.
6 minutes ago
Crypto whale who profited over $23.77 million from BAT ICO liquidates 27,586 ETH
According to monitoring by Yu Jing, a whale that earned $23.77 million from participating in the BAT ICO sold 15,000 ETH (valued at roughly $24.29 million) two hours ago. The whale has now fully liquidated all 27,586 ETH it received from selling 35 million BAT on-chain over the past day and a half, converting the proceeds into 44.836 million USDS at an average selling price of $1,625.
6 minutes ago
Sources: Iraqi officials once considered withdrawing from OPEC, but current plans are to remain a member and pursue a higher quota.
A senior Iraqi oil ministry official said that if OPEC quotas are not significantly increased, Iraq will be forced to consider all available options. Sources said Iraqi officials had considered withdrawing from OPEC, but the current plan is to remain a member and push for higher quotas. (Jinshi)
6 minutes ago
Kepler Cheuvreux raises ASML’s European share price target from €1,460 to €1,830.
Kepler Cheuvreux has raised the target price for ASML’s European shares from €1,460 to €1,830.
6 minutes ago
Stifel: U.S. economy in "overheated expansion" as AI investment cycle outweighs consumer pressure
U.S. large diversified financial services holding company Stifel has raised its year-end S&P 500 target and rolled out a stock allocation framework for a "high-growth, high-inflation" environment. The firm lifted its year-end S&P 500 target to 7,800 points, noting the U.S. economy is entering a "running hot" state—where economic growth is strengthening alongside mounting inflationary pressure. Stifel’s models show U.S. growth momentum is picking up while inflation momentum is clearly overheating, a trend that will reshape the market’s leading sector structure in the second half of the year. Instead of traditional consumer sectors, Stifel’s top picks are investment-led cyclical industries, including banks, transportation, materials, energy, semiconductors, software and equipment. The firm adds that fixed-asset investment in AI remains on the rise: large tech firms including Amazon, Microsoft, Meta and Google are projected to combine for roughly $725 billion in total capital expenditures in 2026, some $100 billion higher than prior estimates. This means the AI investment chain is likely to continue outperforming the consumption chain squeezed by inflation. Stifel advises investors to reduce exposure to discretionary consumer, consumer staples, communication services and some financial services sectors, as these areas see weaker earnings revisions. Conversely, the firm favors cyclical value stocks and hedges with defensive value sectors such as insurance, autos, energy and banks.
A wallet tied to US government seized FTX Chainlink holdings moved 98,590 Chainlink (LINK) tokens, worth about $768,000, to Coinbase Prime on Wednesday, reviving speculation over a potential sale.
Blockchain trackers flagged the deposit within minutes. However, on-chain data alone does not confirm that the tokens are headed for the open market.
US government wallet transferring seized FTX Chainlink (LINK) to Coinbase Prime, Source: ArkhamWhy the Seized FTX Chainlink Transfer MattersOn-chain tracker Lookonchain first reported the movement, and tracking account Solid Intel flagged the same deposit.
Arkham labels the sending address under its US government entity and has documented earlier movements from the same cluster.
The US Government just moved $800K of Alameda’s funds.
Many Alameda/FTX assets that were seized by the DOJ will be returned to FTX estate creditors and those who lost assets in FTX’s collapse.
Another $800K has been reclaimed for crypto users. pic.twitter.com/jW7PAcF1p4
— Arkham (@arkham) May 29, 2026 Follow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
The funds originate from assets confiscated after FTX and Alameda Research collapsed in November 2022.
A federal judge later ordered Sam Bankman-Fried to forfeit $11 billion after his fraud conviction, with recovered funds directed toward victim compensation.
The US Marshals Service selected Coinbase Prime in July 2024 to custody and trade its large-cap digital assets.
“After a comprehensive process, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), a division of the U.S. Department of Justice, selected Coinbase Prime as its partner to safeguard and trade its “Class 1” (large cap) digital assets,” read an excerpt in a 2024 Coinbase blog.
Therefore, deposits to the platform often precede custody changes, over-the-counter deals, or liquidations.
The agency has managed seized crypto sales for over a decade, beginning with its auction of 30,000 Silk Road bitcoins in 2014.
Historically, it has favored structured sales over open-market dumps.
The transaction also extends a pattern of earlier seized altcoin transfers involving Uniswap (UNI), Render (RNDR), Ethereum (ETH), and The Sandbox (SAND), plus stablecoins.
Meanwhile, the FTX estate keeps repaying customers, with its fourth creditor distribution round delivering $2.2 billion in March.
Analysts See Limited Risk of a LINK Sell-OffChainlink’s current price sits near $7.66, down 2% over the past 24 hours. The token holds a $5.57 billion market cap and ranks 21st among cryptocurrencies.
Chainlink (LINK) Price Performance. Source: BeInCryptoThe transferred amount equals less than 0.4% of LINK’s $225 million daily trading volume. It also represents roughly 0.01% of the 727 million tokens in circulation.
Consequently, even an outright sale would barely move market liquidity.
Sentiment around the token remains cautious after a 27% slide over the past 30 days. LINK has also shed 49% over the past year, leaving holders alert to new supply signals.
In contrast, Chainlink’s ETF inflow outlook suggests institutional demand could absorb modest government supply over time.
Whether the tokens move to an over-the-counter desk or stay in custody should become clearer in the coming days.
The wallet’s next transaction will reveal whether the deposit marks routine management or the start of a liquidation.
Until then, the sell-off fears look larger than the numbers behind them.
GBM, the auction protocol reinventing how value is distributed onchain, has announced the launch of its inaugural Auction Festival, a multi-month celebration of auctions, rewards and community participation. The festival kicks off in partnership with leading Web 3.0 names, including The Sandbox, Aavegotchi, Unstoppable Domains, Song a Day, Vision.io and more – all showcasing the power of GBM’s proprietary win-win auction model, where every bidder gets rewarded, not just the winner.
This event marks the first phase of GBM’s full protocol launch and upcoming token release.
Alongside the auctions, participants can engage in quests, earn incentives and unlock exclusive rewards, all designed to showcase GBM’s next-generation auction mechanics ahead of its full protocol launch.
A new standard for onchain auctions Traditional auctions reward only the highest bidder, leaving everyone else with nothing, despite shared exertion in their time, capital and interest.
This is a zero-sum model that creates friction, fosters sniping and kills genuine price discovery, often leading to both sides being disenfranchised.
This winner-takes-all model is broken, and GBM introduces a paradigm shift with its win-win model.
With the GBM auction, outbid participants receive their full bid back along with an incentive, turning participation into a rewarding act.
This flips the traditional format on its head, creating a dynamic, trustless, high-engagement environment where competition drives true market discovery, not manipulation or luck.
Already, several leading Web 3.0 projects have embraced GBM’s win-win model for its transparency, flexibility and ability to engage communities without extractive mechanics.
Sandy Carter, COO of Unstoppable Domains, said,
“We’re thrilled to join the upcoming Auction Festival and bring our Web 3.0 domains to the GBM auction platform.
“This innovative win-win auction model makes Web 3.0 domains more accessible and engaging for everyone – from first-time buyers to seasoned collectors.”
Sébastien Borget, co-founder and COO of The Sandbox, said,
“GBM auctions have introduced a new layer of excitement and strategy to LAND sales in The Sandbox metaverse.
“Our community is more engaged than ever, bidding on prized virtual LAND near their favorite brands and celebrities.
“Even those who don’t win walk away rewarded, turning every bid into a fun and rewarding experience.
“Bidding has become thrilling, fair and a new way to earn SAND along the way.”
For GBM, the Auction Festival is a milestone in the protocol’s evolution.
Hugo McDonaugh, co-founder and CEO of GBM, said,
“The GBM Auction Festival is our way of showing people what a modern auction should feel like – fun, fair and built around rewarding participation.
“Bidders get rewarded for their role in discovering the true market value of the seller’s assets, resulting in an outcome where everybody wins.”
A festival that rewards participation The Auction Festival will run from late June through to early September, bringing together partner-led auctions, community quests and protocol-wide incentives.
Highlights include the following.
Live partner auctions, including but not limited to – Aavegotchi, Unstoppable Domains, The Sandbox and Freename Participation incentives for all bidders – not just winners Community quests and tiered engagement rewards Giveaways, competitions and community events The festival is also a gateway to deeper protocol participation.
Through the festival and the GBM community program, users can earn points for bidding, selling, completing quests, collecting trophies, badges, NFTs and other rewards.
These incentives ultimately lead to a share of the GBM token when it’s launched.
Learn more about the GBM Protocol and the Auction Festival The Auction Festival officially begins on June 30, 2025.
Users can do the following.
Learn more about the festival and the GBM protocol here. Join the community here. Follow for updates here. About GBM GBM is the auction protocol redefining how value is distributed onchain.
At the heart of GBM is its innovative win-win auction model, which rewards every participant, not just the winner. This sets a new standard for price discovery and value alignment across Web 3.0.
To date, GBM has powered over $200 million in bidding volume and distributed over $6 million in rewards to bidders, proving its model at scale.
Trusted by top Web 3.0 ecosystems including The Sandbox, Aavegotchi and Unstoppable Domains, GBM is the next-generation auction layer for crypto-native platforms – making auctions more transparent, engaging and fair for everyone.
For more information, users can visit here.
Contact Jake Scott, head of marketing at GBM Auctions
GBM, the auction protocol reinventing how value is distributed onchain, has announced the launch of its inaugural Auction Festival, a multi-month celebration of auctions, rewards, and community participation.
The Festival kicks off in partnership with leading Web3 names, including The Sandbox, Aavegotchi, Unstoppable Domains, Song a Day, Vision.io, and more, all showcasing the power of GBM’s proprietary Win-Win auction model, where every bidder gets rewarded, not just the winner.
This event marks the first phase of GBM’s full protocol launch and upcoming token release. Alongside the auctions, participants can engage in quests, earn incentives, and unlock exclusive rewards, all designed to showcase GBM’s next-generation auction mechanics ahead of its full protocol launch.
A New Standard for Onchain Auctions
Traditional auctions reward only the highest bidder, leaving everyone else with nothing, despite shared exertion in their time, capital, and interest. This is a zero-sum model that creates friction, fosters sniping, and kills genuine price discovery, often leading to both sides being disenfranchised. This winner-takes-all model is broken, and GBM introduces a paradigm shift with its Win-Win model.
With the GBM auction, outbid participants receive their full bid back along with an incentive, turning participation into a rewarding act. This flips the traditional format on its head, creating a dynamic, trustless, high-engagement environment where competition drives true market discovery, not manipulation or luck.
Already, several leading Web3 projects have embraced GBM’s Win-Win model for its transparency, flexibility, and ability to engage communities without extractive mechanics.
“We’re thrilled to join the upcoming Auction Festival and bring our Web3 domains to the GBM auction platform. This innovative Win-Win auction model makes Web3 domains more accessible and engaging for everyone — from first-time buyers to seasoned collectors.’’ – Sandy Carter, COO, Unstoppable Domains
“GBM auctions have introduced a new layer of excitement and strategy to LAND sales in The Sandbox Metaverse. Our community is more engaged than ever, bidding on prized virtual LAND near their favourite brands and celebrities. Even those who don’t win walk away rewarded, turning every bid into a fun and rewarding experience. Bidding has become thrilling, fair, and a new way to earn $SAND along the way.” – Sébastien Borget, Co-Founder & COO, The Sandbox
For GBM, The Auction Festival is a milestone in the protocol’s evolution.
“The GBM Auction Festival is our way of showing people what a modern auction should feel like – fun, fair, and built around rewarding participation. Bidders get rewarded for their role in discovering the true market value of the seller’s assets, resulting in an outcome where everybody wins.” – Hugo McDonaugh, Co-Founder & CEO, GBM
A Festival That Rewards Participation
The Auction Festival will run from late June through to early September, bringing together partner-led auctions, community quests, and protocol-wide incentives. Highlights include:
Live partner auctions, including but not limited to: Aavegotchi, Unstoppable Domains, The Sandbox, and Freename. Participation incentives for all bidders, not just winners. Community quests and tiered engagement rewards. Giveaways, competitions, and community events. The Festival is also a gateway to deeper protocol participation. Through the Festival and the GBM Community Programme, users can earn points for bidding, selling, completing quests, collecting trophies, badges, NFTs, and other rewards. These incentives ultimately lead to a share of the GBM token when it’s launched.
To learn more about the GBM Protocol and the Auction Festival
The Auction Festival officially begins on the 30th June 2025.
Users can:
Learn more about the Festival and the GBM protocol here: https://docs.gbm.auction/ Join the community here: https://discord.gg/gbmauction Follow for updates here: https://x.com/GBMauction About GBM
GBM is the auction protocol redefining how value is distributed onchain. At the heart of GBM is its innovative Win-Win auction model, which rewards every participant, not just the winner. This sets a new standard for price discovery and value alignment across Web3.
To date, GBM has powered $200M+ in bidding volume and distributed over $6M in rewards to bidders, proving its model at scale.
Trusted by top Web3 ecosystems including The Sandbox, Aavegotchi, and Unstoppable Domains, GBM is the next-generation auction layer for crypto-native platforms – making auctions more transparent, engaging, and fair for everyone.
For more information, users can visit: https://web3.gbm.auction
GBM, the auction protocol reinventing how value is distributed onchain, has announced the launch of its inaugural Auction Festival, a multi-month celebration of auctions, rewards, and community participation.
The Festival kicks off in partnership with leading Web3 names, including The Sandbox, Aavegotchi, Unstoppable Domains, Song a Day, Vision.io, and more, all showcasing the power of GBM’s proprietary Win-Win auction model, where every bidder gets rewarded, not just the winner.
This event marks the first phase of GBM’s full protocol launch and upcoming token release. Alongside the auctions, participants can engage in quests, earn incentives, and unlock exclusive rewards, all designed to showcase GBM’s next-generation auction mechanics ahead of its full protocol launch.
A New Standard for Onchain Auctions
Traditional auctions reward only the highest bidder, leaving everyone else with nothing, despite shared exertion in their time, capital, and interest. This is a zero-sum model that creates friction, fosters sniping, and kills genuine price discovery, often leading to both sides being disenfranchised. This winner-takes-all model is broken, and GBM introduces a paradigm shift with its Win-Win model.
With the GBM auction, outbid participants receive their full bid back along with an incentive, turning participation into a rewarding act. This flips the traditional format on its head, creating a dynamic, trustless, high-engagement environment where competition drives true market discovery, not manipulation or luck.
Already, several leading Web3 projects have embraced GBM’s Win-Win model for its transparency, flexibility, and ability to engage communities without extractive mechanics.
“We’re thrilled to join the upcoming Auction Festival and bring our Web3 domains to the GBM auction platform. This innovative Win-Win auction model makes Web3 domains more accessible and engaging for everyone — from first-time buyers to seasoned collectors.’’ – Sandy Carter, COO, Unstoppable Domains
“GBM auctions have introduced a new layer of excitement and strategy to LAND sales in The Sandbox Metaverse. Our community is more engaged than ever, bidding on prized virtual LAND near their favourite brands and celebrities. Even those who don’t win walk away rewarded, turning every bid into a fun and rewarding experience. Bidding has become thrilling, fair, and a new way to earn $SAND along the way.” – Sébastien Borget, Co-Founder & COO, The Sandbox
For GBM, The Auction Festival is a milestone in the protocol’s evolution.
“The GBM Auction Festival is our way of showing people what a modern auction should feel like – fun, fair, and built around rewarding participation. Bidders get rewarded for their role in discovering the true market value of the seller’s assets, resulting in an outcome where everybody wins.” – Hugo McDonaugh, Co-Founder & CEO, GBM
A Festival That Rewards Participation
The Auction Festival will run from late June through to early September, bringing together partner-led auctions, community quests, and protocol-wide incentives. Highlights include:
Live partner auctions, including but not limited to: Aavegotchi, Unstoppable Domains, The Sandbox, and Freename. Participation incentives for all bidders, not just winners. Community quests and tiered engagement rewards. Giveaways, competitions, and community events. The Festival is also a gateway to deeper protocol participation. Through the Festival and the GBM Community Programme, users can earn points for bidding, selling, completing quests, collecting trophies, badges, NFTs, and other rewards. These incentives ultimately lead to a share of the GBM token when it’s launched.
To learn more about the GBM Protocol and the Auction Festival
The Auction Festival officially begins on the 30th June 2025.
Users can:
Learn more about the Festival and the GBM protocol here: https://docs.gbm.auction/ Join the community here: https://discord.gg/gbmauction Follow for updates here: https://x.com/GBMauction About GBM
GBM is the auction protocol redefining how value is distributed onchain. At the heart of GBM is its innovative Win-Win auction model, which rewards every participant, not just the winner. This sets a new standard for price discovery and value alignment across Web3.
To date, GBM has powered $200M+ in bidding volume and distributed over $6M in rewards to bidders, proving its model at scale.
Trusted by top Web3 ecosystems including The Sandbox, Aavegotchi, and Unstoppable Domains, GBM is the next-generation auction layer for crypto-native platforms – making auctions more transparent, engaging, and fair for everyone.
For more information, users can visit: https://web3.gbm.auction
GBM, the auction protocol reinventing how value is distributed onchain, has announced the launch of its inaugural Auction Festival, a multi-month celebration of auctions, rewards, and community participation.
The Festival kicks off in partnership with leading Web3 names, including The Sandbox, Aavegotchi, Unstoppable Domains, Song a Day, Vision.io, and more, all showcasing the power of GBM’s proprietary Win-Win auction model, where every bidder gets rewarded, not just the winner.
This event marks the first phase of GBM’s full protocol launch and upcoming token release. Alongside the auctions, participants can engage in quests, earn incentives, and unlock exclusive rewards, all designed to showcase GBM’s next-generation auction mechanics ahead of its full protocol launch.
A New Standard for Onchain Auctions
Traditional auctions reward only the highest bidder, leaving everyone else with nothing, despite shared exertion in their time, capital, and interest. This is a zero-sum model that creates friction, fosters sniping, and kills genuine price discovery, often leading to both sides being disenfranchised. This winner-takes-all model is broken, and GBM introduces a paradigm shift with its Win-Win model.
With the GBM auction, outbid participants receive their full bid back along with an incentive, turning participation into a rewarding act. This flips the traditional format on its head, creating a dynamic, trustless, high-engagement environment where competition drives true market discovery, not manipulation or luck.
Already, several leading Web3 projects have embraced GBM’s Win-Win model for its transparency, flexibility, and ability to engage communities without extractive mechanics.
“We’re thrilled to join the upcoming Auction Festival and bring our Web3 domains to the GBM auction platform. This innovative Win-Win auction model makes Web3 domains more accessible and engaging for everyone — from first-time buyers to seasoned collectors.’’ – Sandy Carter, COO, Unstoppable Domains
“GBM auctions have introduced a new layer of excitement and strategy to LAND sales in The Sandbox Metaverse. Our community is more engaged than ever, bidding on prized virtual LAND near their favourite brands and celebrities. Even those who don’t win walk away rewarded, turning every bid into a fun and rewarding experience. Bidding has become thrilling, fair, and a new way to earn $SAND along the way.” – Sébastien Borget, Co-Founder & COO, The Sandbox
For GBM, The Auction Festival is a milestone in the protocol’s evolution.
“The GBM Auction Festival is our way of showing people what a modern auction should feel like – fun, fair, and built around rewarding participation. Bidders get rewarded for their role in discovering the true market value of the seller’s assets, resulting in an outcome where everybody wins.” – Hugo McDonaugh, Co-Founder & CEO, GBM
A Festival That Rewards Participation
The Auction Festival will run from late June through to early September, bringing together partner-led auctions, community quests, and protocol-wide incentives. Highlights include:
Live partner auctions, including but not limited to: Aavegotchi, Unstoppable Domains, The Sandbox, and Freename. Participation incentives for all bidders, not just winners. Community quests and tiered engagement rewards. Giveaways, competitions, and community events. The Festival is also a gateway to deeper protocol participation. Through the Festival and the GBM Community Programme, users can earn points for bidding, selling, completing quests, collecting trophies, badges, NFTs, and other rewards. These incentives ultimately lead to a share of the GBM token when it’s launched.
To learn more about the GBM Protocol and the Auction Festival
The Auction Festival officially begins on the 30th June 2025.
Users can:
Learn more about the Festival and the GBM protocol here: https://docs.gbm.auction/ Join the community here: https://discord.gg/gbmauction Follow for updates here: https://x.com/GBMauction About GBM
GBM is the auction protocol redefining how value is distributed onchain. At the heart of GBM is its innovative Win-Win auction model, which rewards every participant, not just the winner. This sets a new standard for price discovery and value alignment across Web3.
To date, GBM has powered $200M+ in bidding volume and distributed over $6M in rewards to bidders, proving its model at scale.
Trusted by top Web3 ecosystems including The Sandbox, Aavegotchi, and Unstoppable Domains, GBM is the next-generation auction layer for crypto-native platforms – making auctions more transparent, engaging, and fair for everyone.
For more information, users can visit: https://web3.gbm.auction
If there's anything that competitive gaming could teach us, it’s that early setbacks don't determine future outcomes.
A substantial rally is building among top gaming tokens, with The Sandbox (SAND) leading gains.
Its token, SAND, has seen a jump of more than 32.3% over the last 24 hours, bringing its price to the $0.8 level. It's also showing signs of strong momentum, with a 7-day increase of 26.2%, CoinGecko data shows.
The numbers are more telling when compared over a longer time period: SAND is up 131% over two weeks and 243% over the past month.
The Sandbox is an Ethereum-based metaverse game platform. In May, the game launched its own DAO, enabling token holders to decide what matters for the game and its on-chain economy.
“Gaming tokens are the backbone of the Web3 gaming ecosystem,” Gabby Dizon, co-founder of Yield Guild Games, told Decrypt. “People hold gaming tokens because they believe in the potential of Web3 to redefine gaming,” Dizon added.
Notably, demand for SAND brought in over $880 million worth of trades over the past 24 hours, an increase of 88% from its previous day, according to historical data.
Bouncing back
Earlier in June, Decrypt reported how gaming tokens were among the hardest hit in the crypto market as Bitcoin and Ethereum rallies cooled down.
Over 30% of these games were discontinued as 2024 started, and the sector later suffered major losses after the Bitcoin halving.
Despite these drawdowns, gaming tokens have maintained a significant following.
According to a Dune dashboard based on research by independent data analyst PanteraFi, SAND has a 13.4% market share for its GameFi Index, which tracks games across decentralized platforms.
“The use case for gaming tokens is about ownership. Players can own their digital assets, trade them freely, and have a say in the direction of the games they play. It’s about aligning incentives between developers and players, so everyone benefits,” says Dizon.
Gaming sector makes a pushBack to numbers, CoinGecko data shows that the intraday changes in volume for SAND has cooled down from November 25, which was when the trading for the asset jumped from $523 million to $5.2 billion overnight. Over the same period, the price also lept from $0.4 to $0.7.
Meanwhile, the native token belonging to Decentraland (MANA), a blockchain gaming ecosystem, has also risen higher on the day, up 17.5% at the time of writing.
Gala Games (GALA), another blockchain gaming ecosystem, also saw its token rise 21.8% over the last 24 hours. That coincided with GALA’s trading volume, which swelled 65.8% to $977 million and clocked a market cap of just over $2.1 billion.
Axie Infinity's AXS token has also shown remarkable strength, recording an 21.1% gain and reaching $9.29 — its highest price point in eight months. This comes after the game development studio behind it, Sky Mavis, announced a layoff for 21% of its staff and confirmed that it's working on a new game.
The AXS token's market cap now stands at $1.4 billion, supported by a healthy 24-hour trading volume of $472 million. The broader gaming governance token market has also seen modest movement, with the total market cap increasing by 6% to $5.4 billion.
“The games that come out on top this cycle will be the ones that are able to target and onboard value-adding communities at scale,” Dizon noted.
Edited by Stacy Elliott.
Daily Debrief NewsletterStart every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.
PANews reported on January 26th that, according to SoSoValue data, the cryptocurrency market generally declined, with the GameFi sector leading the decline at 4.90% in the past 24 hours. Within the GameFi sector, The Sandbox (SAND) fell 8.85%, and Axie Infinity (AXS) fell 18.23%, but Beam (BEAM) bucked the trend, rising 19.02%. Meanwhile, Bitcoin (BTC) fell 1.84%, dropping below $88,000; Ethereum (ETH) fell 2.34%, dropping below $2,900.
In other sectors, the CeFi sector fell 1.55% in the last 24 hours, with Aster (ASTER) down 6.86%; the PayFi sector fell 2.03%, with Monero (XMR) down 10.25%; the Meme sector fell 2.10%, with PIPPIN (PIPPIN) down 18.01%; the Layer 1 sector fell 2.25%, with TRON (TRX) relatively resilient, rising 0.34%; the DeFi sector fell 3.10%, with River (RIVER) surging 30.71% intraday; and the Layer 2 sector fell 4.63%, but Movement (MOVE) rose 2.38%.
