1. Executive Summary
This project requests a grant to execute a high-impact campaign that serves as a powerful onboarding engine for new creators into The Sandbox ecosystem. Our strategy is twofold: first, we will convert casual players and non-creatives into first-time UGC creators using our mobile and web-based AI-powered tool Magic Block. Second, we will establish a strategic talent funnel to attract experienced builders from the vast Minecraft and Web3-native Hytopia communities with Magic Palette.
Our project’s uniqueness lies in its ability to elegantly bridge Web2 users to Web3. By participating in familiar, gamified contests, creators will be guided through the process of creating UGC content for TSB, setting up a wallet to receive on-chain prizes ($SAND and LAND NFTs), and interacting with The Sandbox Marketplace. This provides a rewarding first step into the world of true digital ownership, directly addressing the grant’s goal of increasing Web3 adoption.
2. Problem Statement
The Problem: The Sandbox’s continued growth requires a constant influx of new creators, but two major hurdles exist: the technical barrier to entry for non-builders and the challenge of attracting established talent from other platforms.
Our Solution: We will launch a multi-faceted campaign and contests centered around our AI-powered and generative tools (Magic Block & Magic Palette https://magicpalette.io/ ) that simplify Block and Level Design creation. This campaign will feature four flagship contests designed to be instantly appealing to both new and experienced builders.
This initiative functions as a Web3 Onboarding Engine. For many participants, especially from the Minecraft community, this will be their first practical experience with Web3 technology. The process is simple and effective:
1. Engage: Attract builders through highly accessible and familiar contest formats.
2. Onboard: Incentivize first-time content creators to upload content to TSB Marketplace and guide contest winners to set up a Web3 wallet to receive their on-chain prizes ($SAND and LAND NFTs). This act serves as their first, tangible experience with digital ownership.
3. Activate: Encourage new asset owners to use their $SAND on The Sandbox Marketplace, list their creations and complete their first full loop in a Web3 creators economy.
3. The Activation Plan: Our Core Contests
Our primary channel for announcements will be X, with visual content on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. All contest details, submissions, and community discussions will be managed through our dedicated Discord server.
Contest Format 1: The “King of the BLOCK” League
This 4-week-long contest is designed for sustained engagement, rewarding consistency and skill. It is highly accessible even for non-builders and players who never touched TSB creators’ tools, thanks to the AI- and Mobile-first approach of Magic Block. We will hold this contest 2 times in the upcoming weeks and funnel it into a recurring event if it becomes a successful format.
- Concept: A weekly challenge where participants create a single, unique Block based on a theme, using our newly launched and free Magic Block tool.
- Mechanics:
– Each week for four weeks, a new theme is announced.
– Everyone can generate or design a Block design with our AI-powered texture generation and Magic Block’s intuitive layering system in seconds
– Participants submit one Block design per week.
– Submissions are judged on creativity and quality, with points awarded to the top entries. A public leaderboard tracks scores to fuel competition. - Prizing: The creator who accumulates the most points will be crowned the “King/Queen of the BLOCK” and receive a grand prize of 1 LAND and a share of $SAND with $SAND prizes for the follow-up placed participants.
Contest Format 2: The “Magic Realms” Creative Plot Challenge
A high-impact, team-based event where builders create block-based scenes on dedicated plots, encouraging ambitious, collaborative projects. We will hold this contest 2 times and funnel it into a recurring event if it becomes a successful format.
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Concept: A timed, team-based building competition hosted on dedicated LAND within The Sandbox. Hosted by SAND RUSH with a live stream event directly on The Sandbox to activate live community participation.
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Mechanics:
– Teams of 1-3 builders are assigned a standard plot size (e.g., 48x48 Blocks).
– They are given a theme and a fixed time frame (e.g., 14 days) to construct a complete block-based scene in voxels that will be combined with Magic Palette into a large Block-based scene published on SAND RUSH LANDs.
– There will be a live stream hosted by us (and if possible in collaboration with TSB Media team), where a jury of top builders will rate each entry during a live event
– This format showcases the power of using Magic Palette for level design and Magic Block for generating custom Block textures for The Sandbox. -
Prizing: Winning teams will receive a significant prize pool of LAND and $SAND, rewarding their collaborative effort and ambitious creations.
4. Team
Our project is driven by our dedicated team at SAND RUSH with proven experience of 4 years working in The Sandbox ecosystem, deep knowledge in tool development tailored to TSB, community management, and strategic growth within the UGC creators industry. We did build highly immersive TSB XPs for Web3 brands like CyberKongz and executed one of the first Community-Driven SIPs with SIP6 -Magic Palette, which was supported by more than 99% Yes votes.
| Name | Role | Relevant Experience |
|---|---|---|
| Pepe Hiller | Project Lead & Strategy | Product Management, Community Building, Gaming & Web3 Growth |
| Lloyd D. | Lead Developer | TSB Creator Tools, Full-Stack Development |
| Alex A. | Marketing & Event Coordinator | Content Creation, Digital Marketing, Social Media |
5. Budget & Work Plan
We are requesting a total of 51,000 $SAND to be allocated across three milestones. A portion is allocated to fund a high-quality content and marketing campaign to ensure a powerful launch of the campaign and the contests within specific target audiences. The rest of the budget is all dedicated to rewards participants and hosting the events.
Budget Table:
| Category | Amount ($SAND) | Justification |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Creator Prize Pools | 20,000 | A large part of the grant is allocated directly to reward the community for their participation. This covers the LAND & $SAND prize pools for two “King of the BLOCK” leagues and two “Realm Rulers” challenges, directly incentivizing high-quality UGC. |
| Event Management & Hosting | 17,000 | Covers the operational costs required to successfully run four major contests, including event coordination, community moderation on Discord/X, technical setup on LAND, and managing submissions and judging, plus live stream events. |
| Design & Content Creation | 13,000 | Production of a high-impact marketing campaign. This includes a professional launch video, social media assets, contest guides, and highlight reels to maximize reach and attract participants. |
| Operations & Admin | 1,000 | Covers minor administrative and server costs required to support the campaign over the 12-week duration. |
| Total Request | 51,000 $SAND |
Milestones:
| Milestone | Key Deliverables | Timeline | Allocation ($SAND) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Campaign Kick-off & Content Production | • Produce and publish a high-energy launch video • Design and distribute all social media assets and contest rulebooks • Launch the initial marketing campaign on X and other platforms to drive awareness and Discord membership. | Weeks 1-2 | 15,500 |
| 2. Contest Round 1 | • Execute the first 4-week King of the BLOCK League • Organize and host the first Magic Realms Challenge • Manage all submissions, provide weekly community updates, and facilitate judging with a live stream event | Weeks 3-7 | 16,250 |
| 3. Contest Round 2 & Final Report | Distribute the prize pools for the first round of contests • Execute the second 4-week King of the BLOCK League • Organize and host the second Magic Realms Challenge • | Weeks 8-12 | 19,250 |
| 4. Distribute 2nd Prize Pool & Final Report | Distribute the 2nd round’s prize pools • Compile and publish Final Impact Report for the DAO, detailing all KPIs and outcomes. | Week 13 | - |
6. DAO Alignment & Impact Measurement
This proposal directly aligns with the DAO’s Web3 Grant objective to fund co-branded campaigns that increase visibility and adoption across Web3 communities and beyond. We are not just running various contests, we are building a bridge for Web2 gamers, non-builders and talented creators from other communities to enter and thrive in The Sandbox’s Web3 economy.
- Community Empowerment: We empower individuals by giving them accessible tools to create UGC content for the TSB Marketplace and a tangible stake in the ecosystem through on-chain rewards.
- Impact Measurement (KPIs):
– Creator Onboarding: Total new user sign-ups on the Magic Block app and new level builds using the Magic Palette app.
– Ecosystem Contribution: Total number of new Blocks created with our tools and listed on The Sandbox Marketplace by participants. Plus, newly published LANDs for showcasing the participants’ creative builds.
– Web3 Adoption: Number of new wallets and TSB accounts created by participants to claim prizes and interact with TSB Marketplace (estimate).
– Community Growth: Increase in active members on Socials.
