SANDchain Testnet — Gaming × AI Edition

The Spaces spotlighted the launch of SAN Chain’s “Sunshine” testnet and its creator-first mission extending The Sandbox’s vision. Host Cassie introduced a lineup across infrastructure, gaming, and AI. Sebastien outlined how Sunshine tackles universal creator pain points—audience engagement and monetization—without forcing platform migration. Robbie shared Sandbox 3.0 priorities: mobile distribution and AI-assisted creation opening content-making to non-technical users. Jess detailed Blockus’s full-stack publishing infrastructure that lets studios ship on-chain faster with embedded engineering support. Rod emphasized curiosity-led quests that drive genuine, sustainable community engagement over chore-like tasks. L from Agent Daredevil and Mark from SAGE explored AI’s impact: real-time, data-driven sports predictions; dynamic tokenomics; personalized AI assets and “digital doubles” minted as NFTs, showcased in SAGE’s iRuns on SAN Chain. Sebastien introduced on-chain loyalty via creator points and network-wide Sunpoints/SAN Points, swappable and designed to unlock rewards with potential SAND conversion. Jess forecast younger, faster-iterating studios and called for selective on-chain privacy. The session closed with AI Week highlights (iRuns via Telegram, creator digital doubles, quests, events like YGG Play Summit) and one-word visions for gaming’s future—fun, interoperable, player-led, and identity/presence—plus simple ways to join the testnet today.

Sandchain Testnet: Gaming Week to AI Week – Twitter Spaces Summary

Speakers and Roles

• Cassie: Host; marketing lead (moderating the session and pacing the agenda)
• Sebastien: Sandchain/The Sandbox leadership; describes Sandchain as the “financial backbone of culture”
• Robbie: The Sandbox; Sandbox 3.0, mobile strategy, AI-assisted creation
• Jess: Founder & CEO, Blockus; “publishing stack”/infrastructure for web3 games
• Rod: CGO, Pseudo Ventures (accelerator arm of Pseudo Gaming); quests, community engagement
• L: Brand lead and game developer, Agent Daredevil (speaking on behalf of JD); AI-driven prediction markets and on-chain wagering
• Mark: Sage (CJI platform); AI-driven game economies and “digital double” co-creators

Purpose and Context

• Occasion: Kickoff celebration and community briefing around the Sandchain testnet, moving from Gaming Week into AI Week (AI Week launched ~1 hour before the session).
• Cadence: Regular Twitter Spaces planned during the testnet to engage community and industry partners.
• Panel focus: How Sandchain extends The Sandbox’s creator mission, on-chain infrastructure for creators and studios, AI in gameplay/economies, loyalty/points, and what’s live now on testnet.

Vision: Sandchain as the Financial Backbone of Culture (Sebastien)

• Problem observed: In The Sandbox and across Web2 platforms (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Twitch), creation is easy but growth, engagement, and monetization remain hard.
• Principle: Don’t force creators or audiences to migrate platforms. Instead, use blockchain/Web3 rails to add monetization and engagement capabilities “where creators already are.”
• Sandchain’s aim: A practical, creator-first solution that:
  • Works across existing channels (online/offline, Web2/Web3)
  • Helps creators engage and monetize without changing core content-production habits
  • Aggregates partner solutions (Web2 and Web3) so creators access a full tool suite (AI, royalties, payments, advances in crypto, bank/credit, lending, etc.)
• Scope: Starts from gaming (Sandbox’s heritage) but explicitly expands to culture and entertainment to serve a ~$250B creator economy.

The Sandbox Evolution and Sandbox 3.0 (Robbie)

• Original mission: A home and platform for creators, supported by Web3 infrastructure.
• Expansion: Build new product suites that leverage Sandbox’s community successes while adding token-centric infrastructure for broader creator types (beyond just game-making tools).
• Distribution priority: Come to where users are; mobile is a key strategic push after years of tooling constraints. Mobile rollout will open access to a broader player base.
• AI-assisted creation: Off-the-shelf prompting alone isn’t enough, but customized tools and improved UI/UX can enable non-technical creators to build compelling 3D experiences. Goal: make 3D game creation accessible to everyone, while acknowledging it’s a complex, ongoing journey.
• Ongoing content: Sandbox Alpha Season 6 is live; continued seasonal content remains a pillar.

Infrastructure for Web3 Games: Blockus “Publishing Stack” (Jess)

• Proposition: Blockus bundles mission-critical but invisible infrastructure so studios can “focus on making a great game while still going on-chain.”
• Capabilities (via partners like Sandchain):
  • Distribution, monetization, payments, analytics, live ops
  • Wallets, compliance, marketplace liquidity, cross-chain support
  • Tokenomics and security
• Engagement model: Blockus embeds engineers onsite (2–4 weeks) to ensure integration matches each studio’s systems and goals; accelerates the studio without replacing it.
• Trade-off: Some control is ceded (as with any platform), but the stack reduces cost and expands optionality.

Community Quests and Authentic Engagement (Rod)

• Observation from early campaigns: Quests work when they feel “natural,” not forced or overly complex.
• Design ethos: Reward curiosity—not chores. This leads to sustainable engagement:
  • Players return multiple times/week and engage organically
  • Creators see real, non-bot spikes as fans join the journey
• Outcome: Not “do X, earn Y” farming; instead, exploration, collection, and social leveling within an ecosystem.
• UX priority: Make the app experience intuitive, frictionless, and “gaming-first.” Web3 features should be an empowering bonus (“superpowers”), not the entry barrier.

AI-Driven Gameplay, Wagering, and Fan Engagement (Agent Daredevil – L)

• Problem in competitive viewing/betting: Fans often bet on vibes and superficial info.
• Solution: AI agents and a sports-betting oracle trained on historical, real-time, and user-interaction data to increase the signal in predictions.
• Experience: A chatbot-guided interface helps users gauge probabilities and make more informed wagers. This aims to reduce blind risk and improve fairness and transparency.
• Community impact: Fans better understand player strengths/weaknesses; creators can contribute historical datasets that further train agents; the system aspires to be more than betting—an AI-enhanced engagement layer around competitive play.
• Activation notes: Token quest with Sandchain; events around AI Week (e.g., presence at YGG Play Summit, Philippines); plans to integrate tokens into the AI oracle to reward on-chain usage.

AI in On-Chain Economies and “Digital Double” Co-Creation (Mark, Sage/CJI)

• Dynamic tokenomics: Today, devs manually balance inflation and rewards; AI can adjust in real-time based on on-chain signals, making economies more responsive and player-driven.
• Personalized assets: AI-generated, player-personalized assets minted as NFTs shift AI from “automation” to “identity.”
• AI as tool vs. co-creator:
  • Tool: Prompts, productivity, automation—table stakes.
  • Co-creator: Creators mint digital doubles (as NFTs) that act on their behalf across games and platforms.
• Implementation example: “iRuns” (a new Sandchain testnet game, cloned from “CZ Runs,” previously a top performer on DappRadar):
  • Creators generate a digital double in ~5–10 minutes via Sage’s CJI platform
  • Digital doubles become playable characters (Sebastien is the first in iRuns)
  • Interoperability: Tech plugs into Unity and Unreal; doubles can support streamers (moderating chat, creating content, presence while offline)
• Campaigns and rewards: Quests, daily on-chain check-ins (post-mainnet), skins, badges, XP, token rewards; mint persona or high scores as NFTs.

Loyalty and Points: Sandpoints and Creator Points (Sebastien)

• Two layers of points:
  • Creator-specific points: Any creator can issue their own points (e.g., GG Points, Sky Points). Earned for actions across online/offline, Web2/Web3 (watch a video to completion, scan a QR at an event, purchase, attend IRL, etc.). Creators define benefits: exclusive content, discounts, merch, VIP access, and more. Points can be sold (fiat/crypto) and swapped with other points.
  • Sandpoints: Network-wide points for actions across Sandchain (signing the manifesto, following on X/Twitter, joining Discord, playing The Sandbox Season 6, etc.). Future unlocks are in development; Sandpoints are expected to be valuable, swappable with creator points, and potentially convertible into SAND, the Sandbox utility token used on Sandchain (gas/exchange/liquidity). SAND is widely listed in 80+ countries.
• Why it matters: Brings airline/hotel-style loyalty to every creator, enabling deeper engagement and monetization without platform migration.

How Loyalty Transforms Creator–Fan Relationships (Rod)

• Psychology of progress: Points, progression, and badges are emotional anchors that convert passive viewers into active participants.
• Badges as stories: They encapsulate history, belonging, status, and bragging rights—boosting retention for creators and meaning for fans.
• Delivery: Seamless, simple interfaces that foreground fun and narrative; Web3 enhances the experience without complicating it.

The Next Generation of Studios and Tools (Jess)

• Trajectory from Roblox learnings: Younger creators, often starting casual, can break out if tools and audiences are present. Top studios can emerge untraditionally (e.g., a stay-at-home mom built a top-10 dress-up game after spotting a gap).
• AI effect: Lower cost, faster production, continuous iteration over “one-and-done” releases.
• Prediction: Breakthrough studios will have different DNA than traditional game studios—nimbler, more community/creator-driven.

Missing Primitive Developers Need: Selective On-Chain Privacy (Jess)

• Ask: Private token balances, private wealth levels, private transfers—with optional public “flex.”
• Rationale: Mirror real-life norms—show your style and achievements without revealing your bank account.
• Roadmap: Blockus is working with a team on selective privacy infrastructure, targeting Sandchain support by Q1 2026.

AI Week: What’s Live and What to Try

• iRuns (Sage/CJI):
  • Live on Sandchain testnet and rolling into a Telegram bot
  • Proves digital doubles in a real game (Sebastien as first character)
  • Early creator slots are limited initially; scaling planned with broader creator onboarding
  • Quests, on-chain rewards, daily check-ins (post-mainnet), skins/badges/XP/token rewards; mint persona or high score as NFT
• Agent Daredevil:
  • Token quest with Sandchain
  • AI oracle and chatbot for prediction support; plans to integrate token incentives for on-chain usage
  • Events and activations during AI Week; follow socials for updates

How to Get Involved Now (Testnet)

• Earn Sandpoints via live quests:
  • Sign the Sandchain manifesto with your wallet
  • Follow Sandchain on X/Twitter
  • Join the Sandchain Discord
  • Play The Sandbox Alpha Season 6
• Try AI Week showcases:
  • iRuns: Create your digital double via Sage/CJI and test it in-game as a playable runner (limited early slots)
  • Agent Daredevil: Explore the AI-powered prediction experience and token quests
• Stay tuned for more weekly quests and creator campaigns as the testnet progresses.

Lightning Round: One Word for the Future of Gaming

• Jess: Fun
• L (Agent Daredevil): Interoperable (a metaverse spanning digital and physical)
• Rod: Interactive, playable, connected, player-led (emphasizing player agency)
• Mark: Presence (with AI as engine and identity as the asset; creators hold the key)

Key Takeaways

• Sandchain extends The Sandbox’s mission by solving engagement/monetization where creators already publish—without forcing platform migration.
• Mobile and AI creation are central to Sandbox 3.0’s accessibility and distribution goals.
• Infrastructure matters: Blockus’s integrated stack reduces complexity and cost; selective privacy is a sought-after primitive.
• Community design wins: Quests that reward curiosity (not chores) drive real, sustainable engagement.
• AI is moving from tool to identity: digital doubles as co-creators that operate across games and platforms.
• Loyalty is a superpower: Creator-specific points and Sandpoints build history, status, and belonging—and can interoperate and potentially convert to SAND.
• AI Week is live on testnet with tangible experiences (iRuns, Agent Daredevil) to try now, with more rolling out.

Notable Highlights and Announcements

• Sandchain testnet cadence: Gaming Week followed by AI Week; ongoing Spaces to engage community and partners.
• iRuns live on Sandchain testnet; digital doubles pipeline via Sage/CJI; early creator onboarding with plans to scale.
• Agent Daredevil token quest and AI oracle integration plans; presence at YGG Play Summit (Philippines).
• Sandpoints earning routes already active; future unlocks to be announced; points interoperability and potential SAND conversion emphasized.
• Targeted addition: selective on-chain privacy tooling by Q1 2026.