SIP-19: The Sandbox DAO UGC Platform by WakeUp Labs [Update Thread]

🚀 SIP: Active ⚙️In Implementation
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TL;DR

We’re officially kicking off the development of the new Sandbox DAO UGC Platform!
WakeUp Labs is building a community-governed, creator-first platform focused on improving visibility, discovery, and monetization for independent creators.

Why Are We Doing This?

Currently, creators within The Sandbox face several challenges:

  • Limited visibility for independent experiences
  • Insufficient discovery tools and analytics
  • Few monetization options outside centralized decisions
  • Lack of community governance and transparency

These challenges have been echoed across multiple community-led SIPs, such as the Creator Toolkit proposal, which highlights the lack of access to essential tools like leaderboards, SAND/NFT reward systems, EP-based season tracking, and public APIs.

This initiative aims to address those issues by providing better tools, transparent analytics, monetization opportunities, and community-driven governance.

What We are going to build – First Version Scope

We want to develop the first version of a new UGC discovery platform, specifically designed around community and creator needs. It focuses on enhancing content visibility, player engagement, and early monetization.

Key features include:

  • Login System: Enables personalized experiences (connected with Sandbox credentials if it’s possible)
  • Homepage: Highlights trending and top creator content
  • Experience Pages: Offers rich visuals and analytics to guide player decisions
  • Creator Pages: Showcases comprehensive creator profiles
  • Search & Filtering: Simplifies and improves content discovery
  • Live Analytics: Integrates Google Analytics for actionable insights
  • Early-stage Monetization Tools: Includes tip jars and spotlight sponsorships
  • Responsive Design: Optimized for both mobile and desktop, reflecting The Sandbox’s aesthetic

Implementation Roadmap

The project will progress through four key milestones:

:small_blue_diamond: Milestone 1: Product Discovery, Architecture & Design
:small_blue_diamond: Milestone 2: Back-End Development
:small_blue_diamond: Milestone 3: Front-End Development
:small_blue_diamond: Milestone 4: Production Launch & Testing

Each phase unlocks part of the total budget and includes clear deliverables. You can find the full roadmap and details in the project overview document.

How We’ll Measure Success

  • Successful launch and DAO approval
  • Increased UGC visibility and creation
  • Higher player engagement (ratings, reviews, session duration)
  • Active community participation in governance and feedback

This is just the beginning. As we move through the implementation phases, Regular updates will be shared here and on our X (Twitter) and LinkedIn!

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Excellent update. Thanks for spelling out where you are in it.

Would you say that you are on schedule, behind schedule, or ahead? It’s okay to say you’re behind schedule, I’m more interested to know the honest progress :slightly_smiling_face:

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Hey! We’re honestly super excited today’s just Day 1, so we’re officially kicking off this 5-month journey!

The design and research team already started running interviews to better understand the context and thoughts of some important members of the community, and we’ll start sharing updates little by little as things take shape.

Right now, it’s still day one no ahead, no behind just setting a strong foundation for what’s coming. Thanks so much for being so attentive and always wanting the best for the DAO.

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I think what I’m referring to is SIP-19’s end date of Feb 5 to the milestone table in your proposal

  • 64 days has elapsed since SIP-19’s end date of Feb 5
  • Your proposal’s Milestone #0 cites “Day 1” and Milestone #1 cites “End of Month 1” (30 days) for discovery and what looks like solidifying the tech specs with the user.
  • Milestone #2 is back-end development

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That’s what I was referring to. With the info we have I can’t tell if Day 1 means the start of Milestone #0 or 2, or if Milestone #1 took 36 days longer than anticipated, or if I’m reading the milestone table wrong.

That’s all I meant :grinning_face:

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Hey Lanzer! Thanks for the clarification. To clarify: Day 1 refers to the official project kickoff, which was on April 9th, not immediately after the SIP-19 end date (February 5th).

There was a gap between the end of voting and the project start due to necessary preparations and final alignments before beginning the actual work.

The milestones in the proposal are counted from April 9th onward, following that kickoff date.

Thanks again for bringing it up I appreciate the attention to detail!

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There was a gap between the end of voting and the project start due to necessary preparations and final alignments before beginning the actual work.

Okay, got it. Was there a place I could have gone to see that April 9th date for myself, or could that not have been known to us until you made this post

Not trying to be confrontational, just wanting to understand here

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Hey Lanzer, unfortunately not.

We expected to kick off the project earlier, but there were some delays due to KYB issues and administrative factors beyond our control.

April 9th was the earliest we could realistically get things moving. :wink:

Apologies if we caused any confusion—after seeing the screenshot you shared, we realized we should’ve clarified that the success metric for Milestone #0 was receiving the retainer fee. Our official Kickoff always hinges on that release.

It still hasn’t come through, but we know it’s on its way.
That said, we didn’t want to hold up the project any longer.

I hope our honest explanation helps clear things up. :blush:

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Yes I think that clears it up, thank you both.

So Milestone #1 completed April 8th, and Milestone #2 is April 9th

Correct?

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No. :slight_smile:

Milestone #0 is completed.
Milestone #1 just started.

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Ah. Well okay then. That clears it up. Thanks :slight_smile:

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:green_circle: Update – Milestone 1: Discovery Phase in Progress

Hey everyone!

We wanted to share a quick update on the progress of the UGC Platform project for The Sandbox DAO.

Over the past few days, we officially kicked off the discovery phase. From the product and design side, we’ve been fully focused on connecting directly with creators, players, and active DAO members. We’ve chatted with amazing contributors like Lanzer, The Pickaxe Master, KCL, Sebga, and others to better understand their expectations, frustrations, and hopes for the future of UGC.

We’re truly grateful for their time and insights, and of course, we remain open to more feedback and ideas.

APIs & Technical Landscape — Current Limitations

On the technical side, we’ve been exploring every possible avenue to access valuable data that would help us build a meaningful platform. We’ve investigated the only public API currently available (Sandbox API) and have analyzed smart contracts to understand what’s accessible.

We’ve reached out to delegates and core team members to request extended API access, and they have very kindly answered our inquiries. However, given The Sandbox team’s current roadmap priorities and limited direct technical communication, we’re moving forward under the assumption that additional APIs won’t be available in the short term. Currently, our access to key data remains restricted, meaning we must primarily rely on publicly available sources and, when necessary, web scraping. Although this situation isn’t ideal, it enables us to start delivering immediate value while highlighting the importance of deeper integration in the future.

What’s Next?

Understanding the uncertainty and challenges around future API availability, we will proceed as if these are not available. Therefore, we’ve carefully adjusted our strategy to ensure we continue meeting key project objectives while providing immediate value to The Sandbox community. With this in mind, we’ve decided to think outside the box and move forward

Our solution is based on current technical feasibility

A functional, lightweight, no-login platform designed to immediately increase visibility for UGC experiences.

Key features will be:

  • AI-Powered Discovery: Smart Search (GPT-style): Interprets natural language, understands user intent, and suggests relevant experiences, for example, typing “fun multiplayer RPG” or “games with more rating” would return a curated list with fallback suggestions if exact matches aren’t found.
  • Experience cards featuring core information (image, title, author, category, views).
  • Sponsored Experience Slot.
  • Alternative methods of support for creators include direct wallet donations and sharing on social media.

This version is 100% technically feasible today, and it aligns with what was proposed at the beginning of the project: a platform, distinct from the one managed by The Sandbox, that allows showcasing experiences to more players and opens a new window of opportunity for creators.

A gift for the community

Given that we’re still fully committed to our original idea of building a platform that includes real data and helps creators make better decisions using key metrics. While we can’t access the APIs we hoped for, we’ll continue working with our design team to present a version that highlights the potential for growth apart from the viable technically. In this version we will showcase the features that could be unlocked with more access to the APIs. In fact, we’ll use it as a spearhead to push conversations with Sandbox and help accelerate the release of public APIs for creators.

The final design documentation and files will showcase:

  • AI-Powered Discovery: Smart search using natural language with real time data (e.g., “most played today”, “experiences with highest rewards”), with fallback results and discovery sections like Top Developers and Live Experiences.
  • Experience Pages: Rich content per UGC experience cover image, trailer, description, gameplay stats (CCU, visits, rating), and a direct “Play” button linked to The Sandbox.
  • Support Creators: Option to support creators via donations and future perks, building stronger creator-player relationships.
  • Creator Profiles: Public portfolio with metrics (visits, DAU, rating), social links, and experience highlights. Logged-in users getting access to advanced dashboards and reward tools.
  • Player Accounts: Logged-in players creating alerts, getting notifications, and access extra features.
  • Monetization Tools: Donation system for creators, social sharing rewards for players, and potential DAO revenue via sponsorship banners.

Our goal with this version is to spark interest from The Sandbox team by clearly showing the opportunities ahead and laying the groundwork for future scaling with expanded data access.

We’ll continue sharing updates, learnings, and community insights. If you’re a creator, player, or SIP author, we’d love your input and feedback to shape this platform.

Let’s keep building by the community, for the community.
The WakeUp Labs Team

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Hi everyone!
We are excited to share a video with the first look at what we’ve been working on from the design side at WakeUP Labs for SIP-19.

We’re building a new UGC platform focused on making it easier to discover experiences, support creators, and open new monetization opportunities for the community.

Today, we’re showing the first wireframes for the current version a searchable, creator-friendly homepage powered by intelligent search (using GPT), and early sponsorship features.

Some highlights:

  • Natural-language search to find experiences faster.
  • Support creators directly by sharing or tipping.
  • Creators can sponsor their experiences for extra visibility.

This is an early draft: visuals, wording, and flows will keep evolving. We’re also preparing a “Community Gift” version that includes even bigger future opportunities.

Your feedback is super valuable to help us improve! Feel free to leave any comments. Thanks for helping us build this together!

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Nice. Good update! Homepage looks good and I’m curious about the early development of that tipping system. Is that an AI-driven search?

Tiny, tiny tiny suggestion. Please oh PLEASE put in a big tile, little tile, and list button options. Similar to how Google Drive lets you display the list in tile or small tiles.

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Hey Lanzer, really appreciate your input! Just to answer your questions:

  • It’s an AI-driven search that uses a GPT to respond in natural language. We’re aiming for something lightweight and affordable probably one of the minis, but we’re still figuring that out.

  • Loved your suggestion it totally makes sense. I’ll chat with our design team and see if we can work it into this version too.

Thanks again! Your feedback is super valuable.

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Gotcha, makes sense. I’m looking forward to seeing how the prompts interact with the experiences.

I’ll chat with our design team and see if we can work it into this version too.

Yes, please, and thank you. :slight_smile:

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Hi everyone,

We’re excited to announce that WakeUp Labs has successfully completed Milestone #1 of the UGC Platform funded through SIP-19. This first stage focused on setting the groundwork from technical research and architecture to user discovery and design.

You can find everything here:

What we built

Over the past month, our team worked across product, technical, and design fronts to define a clear and realistic path for the platform. Highlights:

  • User Discovery
    We spoke directly with creators, players, and DAO contributors (including Lanzer, The Pickaxe Master, Sebga, and KCL) to understand real needs and pain points.

  • Technical Research & Architecture
    We explored both official and unofficial Sandbox APIs, defined a fallback strategy with web scraping, and documented our proposed modular system architecture. You can review all the technical specs in our tech doc.

  • Smart Contract Exploration
    We outlined future monetization options like sponsored listings and creator donations, and started exploring smart contract flows.

  • AI-Powered Search (MVP feature)
    We validated our GPT-powered Smart Search concept and designed the logic for natural language queries to help players find the right experiences faster.

  • Design & UX
    We delivered high-fidelity designs so our development team can start with the POC. This version focuses on a lightweight, no-login platform that helps players discover UGC experiences and gives creators new ways to gain visibility and support.

Key Challenges

  • Limited API access: Most Sandbox data is not publicly available. We’ve built fallback strategies, but broader API access would unlock huge value.

  • Creator monetization: There’s still no clear path to sustainable earnings for most creators. We explored donation systems and sponsored listings and we’ll share some new ideas in the next stage.

  • No direct visibility from Sandbox: We’re not directly connected to the Sandbox launcher or homepage, so we’ll focus on smart discovery, tips to creators and social sharing.

Next Steps

  • We’ll share a proof of concept (POC) demo of the backend along with a technical walkthrough for the DAO.

  • As a gift to the community, we’ll present a visionary concept version of the platform showing what could be possible with full API access: creator profiles, smart search with real-time data, and monetization tools.

  • We’ll continue sharing updates transparently in the forum, even if we hit blockers or delays. Your feedback and support are essential.

Thanks again for trusting and helping us to finish this first milestone. If you have any questions, ideas, or feedback we’d love to hear them below.

Let’s keep building,
The WakeUp Labs team

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Excellent and happy to the thoroughness of your reports. thans Miki for the video. Really exciting to use it.

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Niceeee! I like it, thank you for the video and technical link. I like being able to see both versions

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The UI is nice and clean, a great start. Quick question about the LLM assisted search : is that optional or does every search automatically use it ? If it’s not optional, I’m a bit worried it might slow down the experience for simple queries that don’t really need AI completion, plus it could add unnecessary extra costs.

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Hey StackHeap! Really appreciate the thoughtful question and yeah, totally get where you’re coming from.

Right now, the smart search isn’t optional it runs by default. The main reason is that discoverability on The Sandbox is still pretty rough, and we felt this approach could really help surface hidden gems, not just the most obvious or promoted experiences.

That said, you’re right some searches are super simple and don’t need any extra processing, and yeah, that can slow things down a bit. We’re already thinking about ways to improve that in future versions like skipping extra logic for straightforward queries, caching common searches, or even offering a simpler search mode if people want it. However I will talk this with the technical team to see if we can find a workaround.

Also, just to be clear: WakeUp Labs is covering the search-related costs, and we’ve set it up in a way that keeps things lightweight and super cheap to run. No surprise bills, and definitely not a burden for the DAO.

Thanks again for flagging this it’s super helpful as we keep refining things!

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