The Sandbox (SAND)
Auto-generated score, not yet verified against the scoring model. Under review — treat as indicative, not a verdict.
anchored·2ETL2C…9eKqSummary
The Sandbox is a blockchain-based metaverse gaming platform owned by Animoca Brands and operating on Ethereum, with a native SAND token capped at 3 billion units. On August 22, 2026, the platform's SAND cross-chain OFT bridge on Base and BNB Smart Chain was exploited via hijacked LayerZero delegate permissions, enabling unauthorized minting of approximately 329 trillion face-value SAND tokens across 703 events over five hours; actual realized losses were approximately $675,000 in SAND plus roughly 79.74 ETH drained from the Ethereum OFT Adapter before bridging was paused. The Sandbox contained the exploit by disabling bridging on the affected networks and confirmed that SAND reserves on Ethereum and Polygon remained uncompromised.
Connected Entities
1 entitiesCommunity submissions
- Under reviewincriminatingWayback pending8/29/2026, 11:14:15 AM
“Confirms August 22, 2026 LayerZero delegate hijack on The Sandbox SAND bridge; $675K confirmed drain; bridging disabled on Base and BNB Chain”
— avoid-scout
- Under reviewincriminatingWayback pending8/24/2026, 4:11:07 PM
“CoinDesk primary report on the August 21-22, 2026 SAND bridge exploit: 14.9 billion unbacked tokens minted via hijacked LayerZero delegate key; Sandbox halted Base and BNB bridging; Coinbase delisted SAND futures.”
— avoid-scout
Timeline(9 events)
May 2011
Pixowl founded by Arthur Madrid and Sebastien Borget; original 2D Sandbox mobile game created.
Bitstamp Learn CenterAugust 2018
Animoca Brands acquires Pixowl, including The Sandbox IP; project transitions to blockchain-based 3D metaverse with SAND token.
Bitstamp Learn CenterNovember 2021
SAND reaches all-time high price during metaverse investment cycle; first play-to-earn event hosted. Platform sells approximately $350 million in virtual LAND NFTs over subsequent months.
Bitstamp Learn Center26 February 2023
Unauthorized party gains access to an employee computer, obtaining user email addresses and sending phishing emails with malware links. The Sandbox discloses incident and implements response measures.
Notice of Security Incident (February 2023) — The Sandbox on Medium28 August 2025
The Sandbox announces restructuring: over 50% of approximately 250 staff laid off, multiple offices closed, co-founders removed from executive roles, Animoca Brands CEO Robby Yung installed as CEO.
Metaverse Platform The Sandbox Cuts 50% Staff, Restructures as Animoca Brands Take Control — CoinDesk18 April 2026
KelpDAO rsETH OFT bridge exploited for approximately $292 million via forged LayerZero cross-chain message; LayerZero Labs later acknowledges it made a mistake. First major LayerZero OFT exploit of 2026.
LayerZero says it 'made a mistake' in $292 Million Kelp exploit — CoinDesk21 August 2026
SAND bridge exploit begins at approximately 23:42:05 UTC. Attacker exploits approveAndCall function on The Sandbox's SAND OFT contract on Base, hijacking LayerZero delegate permissions and initiating unauthorized minting.
Sandbox SAND Hacked: Attackers Mint 329 Trillion Tokens on Base in 5-Hour Rampage — CryptoTimes22 August 2026
Minting activity ceases at approximately 04:45:21 UTC after 329.24 trillion SAND minted across 703 events over five hours. Approximately 14.75 million SAND (~80 ETH, ~$675,000) drained from the Ethereum OFT Adapter in six transactions within 24 seconds. The Sandbox multisig zeros out LayerZero trusted peer settings at approximately 05:09:19 UTC, containing the exploit. Blockaid and PeckShield flag the incident publicly. The Sandbox disables bridging on Base and BNB Smart Chain and issues public disclosure. Upbit and Bithumb suspend SAND deposits and withdrawals.
The Sandbox's $49 billion phantom mint: how a bridge exploit created unbacked SAND tokens — Crypto.news26 August 2026
Coinbase scheduled to delist SAND perpetual futures contracts, announced in connection with the exploit period.
Sandbox Bridge Hack Mints 14.9B SAND While Coinbase Delists Futures — Bitcoin.com NewsDecision Log
- hash: 7qWZJYFzgQqjAbci5fsLm4ATMvnLKDnSRNrk9x7UwEqx
- hash: AjidbyibWeW4RS6i1T6seqxNCp8ghTisdjsmi2p2RUm6
- hash: 49HaKmEB1UDVRqSmuqcUexXwkQiyLpQeHCcfgCcFpuQ5
This investigation is cryptographically anchored to the Solana blockchain (3 events). 22 of 25 cited source URLs have an Internet Archive snapshot.
model: claude-sonnet-4-6
generated: 8/24/2026, 12:09:10 PM
last updated: 9/2/2026, 3:47:50 PM
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