At a time when many are questioning the future of the metaverse, Sébastien Borget is expanding it—with creativity, purpose, and a contagious sense of optimism. As co-founder and CEO of Sandbox, a decentralized virtual world built for creators, Sébastien is building more than just digital land. He’s building community, culture, and a shared digital future.
In this premiere episode of The Good News Is..., Rachel Wilkins sat down with Sébastien in Paris to talk about ownership, art, and why the next chapter of the internet is far more than hype—it’s human.
For the uninitiated, Sandbox may sound like a digital playground—and that’s by design. With a no-code game builder, a 3D editor, and a fully explorable map of limited digital land, Sandbox gives anyone the tools to create, publish, and monetize immersive virtual experiences.
“It’s a decentralized virtual platform where anyone can become a creator,” Sébastien explains. “Whether you're hosting a concert, designing a museum, or launching a game, Sandbox lets you bring your imagination to life—and own it.”
Ownership, in this context, is real. Digital land on Sandbox is finite—only 166,464 parcels exist, and that scarcity drives value. Just like in the real world, location matters. Your neighbors might be Snoop Dogg, Gucci, or the British Museum.
But what brings the metaverse to life, Sébastien emphasizes, is you—through your avatar, your presence, and your imagination.
“Our avatars are our digital identities. You carry them through experiences, and they reflect your personality, your collections, your history. It’s about continuity. About being seen.”
From Attack on Titan to The Smurfs, from Care Bears to cultural institutions, Sandbox is building a digital theme park where play meets purpose—and where brands, artists, and fans can interact in entirely new ways.
Sébastien isn’t limiting his vision to the virtual world. He’s also the co-founder of ArtVerse, a digital art gallery located in the Marais district of Paris—one of the city’s most prestigious cultural neighborhoods.
“ArtVerse is a space where digital artists can show their work physically for the first time. We bring in Web3, AI, fashion—it’s a place for cultural fusion.”
During NFT Paris, ArtVerse became a hub for community, hosting shows with SuperRare, solo exhibitions with artists like Alien Queen, and drawing crowds that reaffirmed what Sébastien believes: curiosity and creativity are universal.
As president of the Blockchain Game Alliance, Sébastien is also championing education and accessibility in gaming and Web3.
“With over 600 members, we focus on showing what’s possible with blockchain—how creators can be empowered and how users can really own what they build and collect.”
The numbers speak for themselves: Sandbox creators have launched hundreds of experiences, generated over 1.2 million blockchain transactions, and sold more than 300,000 NFTs. The metaverse, it seems, is alive and thriving—despite headlines to the contrary.
“I try to be positive because I know something great is coming,” Sébastien shares. “You onboard people through experience—sometimes they come to a party, meet a friend, see something cool. Then they get curious. That’s where it starts.”
And that’s why, despite market fluctuations, media skepticism, and tech fatigue, Sandbox keeps building. They’ve launched a DAO with 17 proposals voted on. They're shipping a new game maker engine. And they’re preparing to announce a massive IP collaboration that might just make the metaverse mainstream.
At the end of the day, Sébastien’s magic isn’t in the tech—it’s in the way he thinks about people. Creators. Communities. The future.
“You can't say you support digital art or Web3 if you're not collecting, if you're not participating. At Sandbox, we've collected over 10,000 NFTs. We’re part of the community. We're in it.”
And maybe that’s the clearest sign that The Sandbox isn’t just another virtual world.
It’s a vision.
Built with heart.
Powered by creativity.
And owned by the people shaping what’s next.
