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USD Coin stands out as a prominent stablecoin in the cryptocurrency market. Catering to a wide array of applications for both crypto enthusiasts and traditional finance players alike, USD Coin holds a prominent position among the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

In this article, we delve into the features of this acclaimed stablecoin, examining its potential as a traditional asset, a means of preserving savings, and a service for digital value settlement.

USD Coin is relatively new to the market, launching in September 2018. The stablecoin is pegged to the US dollar, meaning that its value should always reflect the price of the dollar on a 1:1 ratio.

This is established by keeping an equivalent amount of the circulating supply in a reserve account, i.e. for every 1 USDC in circulation, $1 needs to be held in reserve. The reserve is a mixture of cash and short-term United States Treasury bonds.

What is the point of the USD Coin?

Built on top of the Ethereum network, USDC is a tokenized version of the US dollar that can operate over the internet and public blockchains. It is designed to provide a stable digital currency in an industry prone to volatility.

Setting itself apart in an increasingly saturated stablecoin market, USD Coin has received wide interest due to it providing a strong layer of transparency. The platform maintains strict protocols to ensure that the reserves are always at the correct levels, ensuring holders that they can withdraw 1 USDC for $1 at any given time, by way of enlisting a major accounting firm.

All USD holdings are required to be reported regularly by USDC issuers, which are in turn published by Grant Thornton LLP. Unlike Bitcoin, while the company uses the decentralized network of Ethereum to function, it has a centralized agency controlling it.

Who created USD Coin?

The coin was created by the Centre Consortium, a foundation consisting of the peer-to-peer payment service company, Circle and cryptocurrency exchange, Coinbase. Circle and Coinbase were the first commercial industry users of the stablecoin.

In 2020, Circle and Coinbase announced an upgrade to the USDC protocol and smart contracts. These upgrades were implemented to increase the cryptocurrency's usability for everyday payments, commerce and peer-to-peer transactions.

Both companies are well-funded and have achieved regulatory compliance, confirming the cryptocurrency's stability and international transparency appeal.

How Does USD Coin Work?

USD Coins are created through a process of minting. Users send USD to the USDC issuer's bank account, which then uses the USDC smart contract to create the equivalent amount of USDC. The digital currencies are then delivered to the user, with the fiat payment held in reserve.

Should the user wish to liquidate their USDC, they can send a request to the USDC issuer who then sends a request to the USDC smart contract to take a certain amount of USDC out of circulation. The issuer then sends the equivalent amount of USD (minus fees) to the user's bank account, taken from the reserve.

USD Coins can be traded through exchanges for other cryptocurrencies, or sent to crypto wallets around the world (provided that they support ERC-20 tokens). The coins are also often used to hedge against cryptocurrencies going through turbulent or crashing market periods.

What Is USDC?

USDC is a fiat-collateralized ERC-20 token hosted on the Ethereum blockchain platform. The stablecoin has an unlimited total supply with currently just under 26 billion USDC in circulation.

The coin provides an easy means of transferring asset funds internationally at a fraction of the cost and time that sending the traditional fiat would take, appealing to both businesses and individuals. It has also proven to be a popular innovation in the DeFi (decentralized finance) space.

How Can I Buy USDC?

If you're looking to add USDC to your crypto portfolio you can do so conveniently through the Tap app. Constantly reviewing and assessing the market, the Tap app has added support for a number of prominent cryptocurrencies, including USDC. Buy, sell, trade, and store USDC securely in the regulated Tap app. To learn more about cryptocurrencies, head to our blog.

UNI is the native token to the Ethereum-based automated crypto exchange, Uniswap. Currently the biggest contender in the DeFi space, Uniswap has become synonymous with decentralized exchanges and the automated trading of decentralized finance (DeFi) tokens.

Covering everything from its growth to rewards to its supply, learn about the leading cryptocurrency linked to the automated market maker that's been making investment news headlines in recent months. Let's dive in to uncover more about the top 15 biggest digital asset on the market.

What Is Uniswap (UNI)?

As mentioned above, Uniswap is a decentralized exchange that facilitates the automated trading of DeFi assets. Decentralized in nature, all trading is facilitated by crypto smart contracts as opposed to employees at a company managing operations, a level up from the decentralized ideology of Bitcoin.

Uniswap was created to provide liquidity to the DeFi industry and allows anyone to create a liquidity pool for any pair of digital assets. After launching in late 2018, the platform experienced an unexpected boom when the DeFi movement exploded. Despite being a technical process, customers and traders around the world joined in on the action.

Following the DeFi phenomenon of increased liquidity mining and yield farming platforms, the automated market maker (AMM) saw a significant increase in the tokens put in and traded on the platform. 

Competing with centralized exchanges, Uniswap provides a trading platform to anyone, without the need for any identity verification or credentials. With no KYC verification, users can swap a wide range of tokens depending on the liquidity pools available.

Who Created Uniswap?

Created by Hayden Adams, an Ethereum developer, Uniswap was designed to introduce AMMs to the Ethereum network. Adams worked closely with Ethereum founder, Vitalik Buterin, as he built and implemented the protocol. 

Adams states that he was inspired to create the platform following a post by Buterin himself. In a short amount of time this protocol became one of the biggest disruptors to the financial market in recent years.

How Does Uniswap Work?

A unique element to the platform is the advent of the Constant Product Market Maker Model. This pricing mechanism works in a way that instead of determining the price of a token through connecting a buyer with a seller, the price is determined by a constant equation (x multiplied by y = k).  

In order to add a token to Uniswap, users would need to fund it with the equivalent value of ETH and the ERC-20 token in question. Say, for instance, that you wanted to add a token to Uniswap called FIRE. You would need to launch a new Uniswap smart contract for the token FIRE and also create a liquidity pool that holds the same amount of FIRE and ETH. 

In this case, x in the equation would equal the number of ETH while y equals the number of FIRE in the liquidity pool. K represents the constant value, using the balance of supply and demand to determine the value. As someone buys FIRE using ETH, the FIRE supply decreases and the ETH supply increases, thus driving up the price of FIRE. 

The platform allows any ERC-20 token to be traded, with an easy means of creating the smart contract and liquidity pool necessary. In May 2020, Uniswap V2 was launched which allowed for direct ERC20 to ERC20 exchanges as well as support for several incompatible ERC20 tokens like OmiseGo (OMG) and Tether (USDT). 

In order to trade on Uniswap a user will need to have a wallet that complies with the platform, like MetaMask, Fortmatic, WalletConnect, or Portis Wallet.‍

How Does The Uniswap Token Work?

Launched in September 2020, 400 governance tokens (UNI) were airdropped to each wallet that had made use of the platform before 1 September that year. 66 million of the 150 million UNI tokens distributed were claimed in the first 24 hours. 

According to the platform, Uniswap tokens were created to "officially enshrine Uniswap as publicly-owned and self-sustainable infrastructure while continuing to carefully protect its indestructible and autonomous qualities."

Providing both profitability potential and governance rights, holders of the digital asset have the right to vote in how the platform develops, unifying the protocol's authority and cutting out the middleman. This grants holders immediate ownership of a number of Uniswap initiatives including the UNI community treasury, eth ENS, the protocol fee switch, SOCKS liquidity tokens and the Uniswap Default List (tokens.uniswap.eth).

The launch of UNI was seen as a direct retaliation to SushiSwap, another decentralized exchange which cloned the platform and added its own token (SUSHI). 

The digital asset is an Ethereum based ERC-20 token and operates on the Ethereum blockchain.‍

What Is Uniswap Version 3?

More commonly referred to as Uniswap V3, the latest version of the automated market maker was launched on 5 May 2021. This upgrade incorporated better capital efficiency for liquidity providers, improved infrastructure and enhanced execution for traders. Prior to the launch of Uniswap V3 the price of the native token reached a new all time high.‍

Uniswap Success

Sparked by the DeFi movement, the platform has seen enormous success not only in the DeFi space but in the cryptocurrency industry as a whole.  

In February 2021, Uniswap became the first DEX to have a trading volume of over $100 billion while in recent months it has regularly exceeded $1 billion in trading volume each day. This trading volume makes it not only the biggest DEX in the space, but one of the biggest exchanges in the industry. It's contribution to the DeFi space is widely celebrated.

 At the time of writing Uniswap had a market capitalisation of $15.5 billion.

Where Can I Buy Uniswap?

Tap enables you to buy, sell, store and manage your digital assets including UNI (Uniswap) directly via the app.

TradFi (short for traditional finance) is a term popularized by the cryptocurrency and decentralized finance community to describe the long-established financial system that predates blockchain technology. It refers to conventional financial institutions such as banks, stock exchanges, insurance companies, and investment firms that operate under government regulation and centralized authority.

These old organizations manage money, credit, payments, and investments through regulated financial services that rely on trust, legal frameworks, and decades of institutional development. While the term emerged in contrast to cryptocurrency and DeFi, TradFi remains the backbone of the global economy and continues to shape how individuals, companies, and governments interact with finance.

Core Components of the TradFi System

The TradFi ecosystem is made up of interconnected financial organizations, each providing specialized services that support economic activity and capital flow.

Commercial banks sit at the center of traditional finance, offering deposit accounts, savings products, loans, mortgages, credit cards, and payment services to consumers and businesses. Investment banks focus on capital markets, underwriting stock and bond issuances, facilitating mergers and acquisitions, and advising corporations and governments. Stock exchanges enable the buying and selling of financial instruments such as equities, bonds, and derivatives, providing liquidity, price discovery, and market transparency.

Insurance companies play a critical role in risk management by offering protection against financial loss, covering everything from health and property to business operations. Central banks, such as the Federal Reserve, oversee monetary policy, manage currency supply, stabilize markets, and support the broader financial system. Additional entities like asset managers, credit unions, payment processors, pension funds, and fintech companies expand access to financial services and improve operational efficiency across the system.

Key Characteristics of Traditional Finance

Several defining characteristics distinguish TradFi from decentralized finance models. First, TradFi is highly centralized, relying on trusted intermediaries to manage financial transactions, verify identities, and enforce contracts. This centrality supports stability and consumer protection but can increase costs and reduce flexibility.

Regulation is another core feature. TradFi institutions operate under strict legal and regulatory compliance requirements, including Know Your Customer and anti-money laundering rules. These measures help prevent fraud, protect consumers, and maintain market integrity. Traditional finance also benefits from established infrastructure built over decades, offering reliability, standardized processes, and legal recourse.

However, TradFi systems often involve slower settlement times, limited operating hours, higher fees, and access barriers for certain populations. Despite these limitations, long-standing trust, government oversight, and institutional expertise continue to make traditional finance the default choice for most individuals and organizations.

TradFi vs DeFi: A Clear Comparison

The contrast between TradFi and decentralized finance highlights two very different financial models. TradFi relies on centralized institutions such as banks and brokerages to act as intermediaries. These entities manage customer funds, approve loans, process payments, and execute trades within regulated frameworks designed to protect users and maintain economic stability.

DeFi, by contrast, operates on blockchain-based computing platforms using smart contracts to enable peer-to-peer financial transactions without intermediaries. Services like lending, trading, and asset management are executed automatically through decentralized applications, often with greater transparency and 24/7 availability.

TradFi offers advantages such as consumer protection, access to professional financial advisers, deposit insurance, and established dispute resolution mechanisms. It also provides structured credit systems and investment services familiar to most users. DeFi, meanwhile, prioritizes decentralization, accessibility, efficiency, and innovation, often reducing costs and barriers to entry.

Each system carries risks. TradFi can be slow, bureaucratic, and exclusionary, while DeFi exposes users to technical risk, volatility, and limited regulatory safeguards. Understanding both models allows investors and consumers to make informed choices based on their needs and risk tolerance.

The Role of Regulation in TradFi

Regulation is foundational to traditional finance. Governments and regulatory authorities establish laws that govern banks, financial services companies, and capital markets to protect consumers and maintain trust in the system. Regulatory frameworks enforce transparency, manage systemic risk, and reduce fraud through compliance requirements such as KYC and AML checks.

While regulation can increase operating costs and slow innovation, it also provides legal clarity, accountability, and consumer protection. Central banks use regulatory tools and monetary policy to manage inflation, stabilize markets, and respond to financial crises, reinforcing the role of TradFi in maintaining economic order.

The Future of Traditional Finance

Traditional finance is evolving as new technologies reshape the financial landscape. Blockchain, distributed ledger systems, automation, and digital currencies are increasingly influencing how TradFi institutions operate. Many banks and financial companies are exploring blockchain-based settlement, open banking, and central bank digital currencies to improve efficiency and transparency.

Rather than being replaced, TradFi is likely to converge with decentralized technologies, adopting elements of Web3 while maintaining regulatory oversight and risk management standards. Competition from DeFi and fintech continues to drive innovation, encouraging traditional institutions to modernize their services and improve accessibility for a global population.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, TradFi remains the foundation of the global financial system, providing structure, stability, and trusted financial services to individuals, businesses, and governments. And while it faces challenges from digital innovation and decentralized finance, its regulated framework, institutional experience, and consumer protections ensure its relevance. Understanding how traditional finance works is essential for navigating today’s financial ecosystem and appreciating how emerging technologies are reshaping the future of money.

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Ever wondered why Bitcoin holds value while countless other cryptocurrencies fade into obscurity? The answer lies in tokenomics, the economic blueprint that determines whether a crypto project thrives or dies. Just as traditional economies rely on interest rates, monetary policy, and supply-and-demand dynamics, crypto ecosystems depend on tokenomics to maintain stability, encourage participation, and support long-term growth.

Tokenomics refers to the economic design behind a cryptocurrency, encompassing how its supply works, how it's distributed, what utilities it has, and the incentives that drive user behavior. Well-designed tokenomics help a project attract users, secure the network, and keep value flowing across the ecosystem. Poorly designed tokenomics, on the other hand, often lead to inflation, price instability, or weak adoption.

Definition of Tokenomics

"Tokenomics" is a combination of "token" and "economics." It describes the full economic framework of a cryptocurrency or blockchain project, covering how many tokens exist, how new tokens are created, what the tokens are used for, how they circulate within the ecosystem, and how incentives influence user behavior. In practice, tokenomics acts as the rulebook that shapes how a digital asset functions, grows, and holds value.

Why Tokenomics Matters

Tokenomics is important because it directly affects a cryptocurrency's price behavior, utility, and long-term sustainability. Good tokenomics can strengthen several critical aspects of a project.

First, it creates proper incentives by rewarding participants for contributing to the network through staking, securing the chain, or providing liquidity. Second, it manages scarcity through mechanisms such as halving or burns that help control inflation and maintain value. Third, it ensures utility by giving the token real demand through use cases like payments, fees, governance, or collateral. Finally, it promotes network health by ensuring developers, validators, users, and investors all have aligned interests.

Because of these factors, tokenomics is one of the first things analysts look at when evaluating whether a project has strong fundamentals.

Core Components of Tokenomics

Total Supply

Total supply refers to the maximum number of tokens a project can ever create. Some cryptos have a fixed supply (like Bitcoin) while others have flexible or uncapped supplies (like Ethereum pre-EIP-1559). A fixed supply often creates scarcity, while a flexible supply allows the network to adjust to usage needs.

Circulating Supply

Circulating supply represents the number of tokens currently available and actively traded on the market. It excludes locked, staked, vested, or burned tokens. Circulating supply is crucial because price equals market cap divided by circulating supply, making it a key factor in understanding current valuation.

Inflation and Deflation

Inflation increases the number of tokens over time, typically through new tokens minted for staking rewards. Deflation decreases total supply through burns or fees removed from circulation. Both mechanisms shape price behavior in different ways. Too much inflation creates downward price pressure, controlled emissions enable predictable growth, and meaningful burns strengthen scarcity.

Market Capitalization

Market cap shows the total value of a cryptocurrency, calculated as current price multiplied by circulating supply. It helps compare the size, maturity, and risk level of different assets. Large-cap assets like BTC and ETH tend to move slower but are more resilient, while small-caps can rise faster but carry higher risk.

Bitcoin: A Clear Example of Tokenomics

Bitcoin is often considered the gold standard of tokenomics because its rules are simple and transparent. It has a fixed supply of 21 million coins with a predictable issuance schedule where block rewards halve roughly every four years. This creates deflationary pressure as fewer new BTC are minted over time. Combined with its strong utility as a store of value, settlement layer, and collateral in financial products, Bitcoin's scarcity and predictability make its tokenomics easy to understand and widely trusted.

Token Types

Utility Tokens

Utility tokens let users access features in a network or app. They provide functional value, such as paying fees, unlocking services, or interacting with smart contracts. Examples include ETH (gas fees), LINK (oracle payments), and SOL (network fees).

Governance Tokens

Governance tokens allow holders to vote on protocol decisions, upgrades, or treasury spending. They decentralize control and align users with the network's direction. Examples include UNI, AAVE, and MKR.

Securities Tokens

These represent tokenized traditional financial assets such as equity, bonds, or real-estate shares, and often fall under regulatory oversight. They offer exposure to off-chain assets through blockchain rails.

Dual-Token Models

Some projects use two tokens—one for utility and one for governance or stability. This separation helps balance usability and incentives. Examples include VeChain (VET + VTHO) and older versions of NEO.

How to Check Tokenomics (Step-by-Step)

You can analyze almost any crypto asset by following this simple workflow.

1. Start With the Basics

Before diving into detailed metrics, gather the essentials: token supply (circulating supply, maximum supply, total supply), inflation rate (how fast new tokens enter the market), market cap versus fully diluted valuation (FDV), release schedule (vesting cliffs, unlocks, emissions), and primary utility (governance, payments, staking, gas fees, security, etc.). This quick scan already filters out assets with unclear or suspicious fundamentals.

2. Check Distribution & Allocation

How tokens were distributed at launch (and who holds them) matters a lot. Consider the team allocation and unlocks, VC or early investor allocations, treasury control and reserves, and distribution to community or ecosystem. Projects with overly concentrated ownership pose higher manipulation or dump risk.

3. Look Into On-Chain Activity

Tokenomics only matter if the network is actually used. Key indicators include active addresses, transaction volume, TVL (if DeFi-related), fees generated, developer activity, and growth in integrations or supported apps. A token with strong incentives but weak usage is structurally weak.

4. Examine Incentives

Tokenomics are fundamentally incentive systems—who benefits and how? Look at stakers earning rewards, validators securing the network, users paying fees, burn mechanisms reducing supply, rewards for liquidity providers, and incentives for developers or creators. Healthy ecosystems reward participation while preventing runaway inflation.

5. Evaluate Risks

Every token model has trade-offs. Ask yourself: Are emissions manageable? How large are upcoming unlocks? Are rewards sustainable or artificially inflated? Does the project depend on continuous inflows of new users? Good tokenomics create durable, balanced incentives.

How to Read & Evaluate Tokenomics

This section expands the framework with deeper principles used by analysts.

1. Supply Structure

The relationship between circulating supply, total supply, and maximum supply determines scarcity and dilution. Low circulating supply combined with high max supply means dilution is incoming. High circulating supply with moderate inflation suggests more transparency. Deflationary or capped supply (BTC-style) creates long-term scarcity. But caps mean nothing without actual demand.

2. Inflation and Emissions

Inflation isn't automatically bad. It depends on who receives new tokens, whether inflows create real utility, and whether rewards drive long-term participation. For example, Ethereum's emissions dropped significantly after EIP-1559, making ETH occasionally deflationary during high activity.

3. Token Utility Categories

Most tokens fall under one or more categories, each with different value drivers.

Work Tokens are used for staking to secure the network (ETH, SOL) and create strong alignment between holders and network security.

Gas Tokens are required to run transactions (ETH, MATIC) and have predictable demand based on network usage.

Governance Tokens are used for voting, with value depending on treasury size and community strength.

Payment Tokens function as currency (BTC, stablecoins), where adoption is key to success.

Meme/Community Tokens are driven by culture, narrative, and demand rather than utility. They're volatile but powerful when momentum is strong.

RWA or Yield Tokens are backed by real-world assets or yield mechanisms, with demand tracking real revenue.

The strongest tokens usually combine multiple categories.

4. Token Velocity

Token velocity measures how fast tokens move between users. High velocity indicates less holding and more selling pressure, while low velocity suggests strong incentives to hold or lock tokens. Staking, bonding, or burn mechanics can reduce velocity and support price stability.

5. Value Accrual

A good token should capture value from the network through fees distributed to holders, buybacks or burns, revenue sharing, increasing on-chain demand, or token-denominated collateralization. If the protocol generates revenue but the token never captures it, long-term upside is limited.

Red Flags & Green Flags in Tokenomics

🟢 Green Flags

• Transparent supply and emissions
• Reasonable vesting schedules
• Clear, useful token utility
• Staking or fees that reward long-term holders
• High on-chain activity and real usage
• Revenue that flows to the token
• Active, consistent development
• Strong treasury management

🔴 Red Flags

• Extremely high FDV compared to market cap
• Hidden unlocks or unclear emissions
• Team or VC allocations above 40%
• Little or no real usage
• Purely inflationary rewards
• Paid marketing but minimal technical progress
• Unrealistic APY returns
• Sudden supply changes or opaque governance decisions

A single red flag doesn't make a project bad, but patterns matter.

Advanced Tokenomics Concepts

1. Staking Models

Different staking systems shape incentives in distinct ways.

Proof-of-Stake (PoS) allows users to lock tokens to secure the network and earn rewards. Key variables include APR, lock-up time, slash risks, and distribution of validators.

Liquid Staking makes staked tokens liquid through protocols like Lido and Jito. This offers benefits in capital efficiency but comes with risks including centralization and smart contract exposure.

2. Distribution Models

How tokens enter circulation affects long-term value significantly.

Fair Launch models have no insiders, with distribution based on mining or participation (BTC, DOGE). The pro is decentralization, while the con is slower growth.

VC-Backed launches accelerate development but increase unlock risk. It's important to evaluate vesting cliffs carefully in these models.

3. Real-World Assets (RWAs)

RWAs bring off-chain value into crypto. Important questions to ask include: Is the asset legally held? Is the yield sustainable? How is value passed to token holders? RWAs depend heavily on regulation and transparency.

4. Inflation Models

Different projects use different frameworks to manage token supply.

Fixed Supply (BTC) creates predictable scarcity and a strong long-term narrative.

Dynamic Supply (ETH) combines burns with variable emissions to achieve net deflation during high activity.

Continuous Inflation (DOGE, SOL) encourages spending and circulation but requires demand to offset dilution.

Emission Schedules (AVAX, ATOM, etc.) often reward early participation but taper over time.

Understanding which model aligns with the project's goals is crucial for evaluating long-term sustainability and value potential.

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In Conclusion

Tokenomics is the foundation that separates sustainable crypto projects from unsustainable ones. By understanding supply dynamics, distribution models, incentive structures, and value accrual mechanisms, you can make more informed decisions about which assets deserve your attention, and more importantly, your capital.

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The Sandbox is a pioneer in the movement to incorporate blockchain technology into the gaming sector. Created in 2011, The Sandbox is an play-to-earn game that allows users to be both creators and players, with the ability to monetize their in-game assets and earn SAND tokens.

Powered by the SAND token, the Sandbox’s native token serves as the foundation for all transactions and interactions. SAND tokens can be obtained by playing games, selling digital assets on the Sandbox Marketplace, participating in competitions, or buying it through a reliable exchange. 

What is the Sandbox platform?

The Sandbox is an Ethereum-based play-to-earn gaming ecosystem and metaverse that allows players to create, share, and monetize in-world assets and gaming experiences. The platform combines the powers of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAO), DeFi and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

The Sandbox metaverse offers players a space to interact with one another and the games they have created.

The Sandbox is made up of three main components: 

1. VoxEdit, which allows users to create and animate 3D objects in the metaverse (i.e. animals, people, tools, etc). These are known as ASSETS and utilize the ERC-1155 token standard which allows both fungible and non-fungible (NFTs) to be minted at the same time. 
2. The Sandbox Game Maker, where users can create 3D games for free.
3. The Sandbox Marketplace, where users can sell their ASSETS for SAND tokens. 

Who created The Sandbox?

Initially developed as a mobile gaming platform by Pixowl in 2011, The Sandbox was intended to be a competitor to Minecraft. It quickly grew very popular and soon had more than 40 million downloads worldwide. However, in 2018, the co-founders Arthur Madrid and Sebastien Borget decided to explore the potential of creating a 3D metaverse on the blockchain.

The new and improved platform allows users to truly own their creations, in the form of NFTs, and earn rewards while participating in the ecosystem. The Sandbox team introduced the new Sandbox project in 2020 and it became one of the fastest-growing games in the cryptocurrency world, alongside Axie Infinity and Decentraland. 

The following year the platform raised $93 million and attracted over 50 reputable partnerships, including CryptoKitties, Snoop Dogg and The Walking Dead. 

How does The Sandbox work?

The Sandbox is a dynamic virtual world filled with user-generated content. Players can create and develop their own NFTs, including avatars, virtual goods, and even games, using the platform's VoxEdit and Game Maker. They can also interact with other players as well as monetize these NFTs by selling them on the Sandbox Marketplace, fueled by the SAND token.

The Sandbox's VoxEdit

VoxEdit offers artists and players user-friendly software to create, rig, and animate NFTs. The NFTs are in voxel format, square 3D pixels that look like lego blocks, which can quickly be edited to create different shapes. Users can design and create everything from animals and game tools to avatar-oriented weapons and clothing to any goods that you can use in The Sandbox. 

All these virtual goods can then be exported and traded as NFTs on the Sandbox Marketplace for SAND token.

The Sandbox's Game Maker

The Game Maker is designed to allow users to test their 3D game creations within the metaverse. With no prior coding experience needed, the program allows users to design and organize various objects and elements in a space called LAND (including the VoxEdit NFTs).

The Game Maker allows users to curate quests, place buildings, and characters, edit terrains, etc. Users can then share their designs with the greater community or sell them on the Sandbox Marketplace.

The Sandbox Marketplace

The Sandbox ecosystem has its very own NFT marketplace was launched in April 2021 and creates a space where users can trade ASSETS (in-game assets) with the native token, the SAND token.

The ASSETS (NFTs) can be anything from wearables to buildings to entities, and can then be used within the platform in the Sandbox game and incorporated into LAND to create unique games using the Game Maker. The Sandbox's marketplace is accessible to all users on the platform.

What are SAND tokens?

Sandbox, referred to as SAND, is an ERC-20 token with a supply of 3 billion. The token functions as a utility token, governance token, and can be used for staking.

SAND as a utility token facilitates all interactions and transactions within the Sandbox ecosystem. In order to take part in the activities available on the platform, from playing the games to buying LAND, trading ASSETS or customizing avatars, users will need to own SAND. The LAND tokens are ERC-721 tokens while ASSETS are user-generated NFTs.

The native token also functions as a governance token within the Sandbox ecosystem, allowing SAND token holders to vote on changes made on the platform through the Sandbox DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) structure. 

Lastly, the token can be staked on the platform, allowing holders to earn rewards and a share in the revenue from all SAND transactions. Staking offers the bonus advantage of allowing users to increase their chances of finding valuable game resources designed to boost ASSETS' rarity, known as GEMs and CATALYSTs. These are valuable when looking to create assets and play games.

There are two ways to acquire SAND: either through playing games and contests in The Sandbox, or by acquiring it on a cryptocurrency platform like Tap.

How can I buy the SAND token?

For those looking to incorporate The Sandbox into their crypto portfolios, or simply enter the metaverse gaming sector, we have great news. The Tap app has recently added SAND to the list of supported currencies, allowing anyone with a Tap account to easily and conveniently access The Sandbox market. 

The Tap wallet empowers users with the ability to effortlessly buy and sell SAND, opening up a world of possibilities. With its seamless integration of wallets, managing your SAND holdings becomes seamless. Experience the convenience and peace of mind that comes with having full control over your assets right at your fingertips.

The stock market is a collective term for stock exchanges around the world. On these exchanges buyers and sellers can trade shares in publicly traded companies, known as stock. Similar to an auction, buyers can name the highest price they're willing to pay, known as the "bid", and sellers can name the lowest price they're willing to accept, known as the "ask". The trade will typically execute somewhere between these two figures.

The stock market exists across the world with stock exchanges situated in New York and Hong Kong, connecting traders through a mutual set of guidelines. Learn more about the role of stockbrokers, portfolio managers, and investors as we take a deep dive into the entire stock market.
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What is the stock market?

The stock market can also be referred to as the equities market or share market. As mentioned above, the stock market encompases buyers and sellers of stocks of publically traded companies. Similar to a farmer's market, the stock market forms a base where buyers and sellers can exchange things. Unlike farmer's markets, however, stock markets are heavily regulated and more complex, with prices known to change quickly.
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The primary functions that the stock market serves

• The buying of stocks: Both retail investors and institutional investors can purchase shares of companies.
• The selling of stocks: every trade needs a buyer and seller.
• The issuance of stocks: A company raising money may do so by selling a portion of ownership via an initial public offering (IPO). If the company is already public, it can raise money through a secondary public offering. After the individual stocks are issued in either case, it can be bought by or sold to members of the general public.
• Trades are typically placed by stockbrokers on behalf of individual investors or portfolio managers.

The primary market is when companies list their shares, while the secondary market is where investors trade these stocks. The secondary market is essentially the stock exchange where stock trading takes place.

It's not just stocks that can be bought and sold on the stock market. Other types of securities, such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or REITs, are also traded on the stock market (with some discrepancies in how they're priced and traded).

Around the world, there are 60 major stock exchanges, each varying in size and trading volume. In the United States, for instance, there are 13 different exchanges that make up the stock market, the most popular ones being the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq.
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How does the stock market work?

The primary function of the stock market is to bring together buyers and sellers so they can trade stocks and other financial instruments. The price is set much like an auction would be.

Bid price

• Buyers determine the bid price. Stockbrokers can bid on the price they're willing to buy a stock for, and the highest price becomes known as the "Best Bid."

Ask price

• Sellers determine the ask price. When an owner of the stock or their stockbroker wants to sell, they place what's called an ask, which is the price that they would like to sell a stock for. The lowest prices become known as the "Best Ask."

The negotiation between the Best Bid and Best Ask is called the “Spread.” The two sides agree to meet somewhere in the middle, and the person who executes the trade gets paid by taking the difference.

As you follow a stock, you’ll notice the share price moves. The stock's price is always changing depending on how many people are buying or selling it and the number of trades that it goes through. As economic, political, and news stories specific to a company affect the movement of markets in general, that company's stock prices can change too as a result. This is known as stock market volatility.
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Is trading on stock exchanges risky?

As with any investment pursuit, trading the stock market for both short-term and long-term periods carries a level of risk. Being prepared by knowing that stocks can increase or decrease dramatically at a moment's notice will allow you to prepare for such events in your trading strategy.

In some cases, stock prices can decrease to zero, losing all their value and resulting in a total loss of capital for the investor. While this is an extreme case, making the necessary precautions in one's trading strategy will go a long way.
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Is the stock market and stock exchange regulated?

Yes, as the stock market handles trillions of dollars, government organizations around the world have been called in to regulate these markets. In the U.S. for example the SEC (US Securities and Exchange Commission) has been granted the authority by Congress to regulate the stock market because they handle such a large amount of money. Other countries have similar organizations that regulate and enforce different laws.

Regulators are responsible for:

• Safeguarding the investments of the general public
• Promoting a sense of equality and fairness
• Keeping markets running smoothly
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Who are the main players in the stock market?

Below are the main players contributing to how the stock market works:

• Retail investors
• Buy or sell individual stocks through a brokerage account. When you place an order, it’s sent to exchanges where the trades are executed.
• Stockbrokers
• “Registered representatives” who have completed professional training and passed a licensing exam and are allowed to buy and sell securities on behalf of investors. Stockbrokers work for brokerages, which can either make their money through markups/markdowns or commissions on trades (known as principals or agents respectively). Fees are often charged by the brokerage to customers that use them to place orders and execute stock trades.
• Portfolio managers
• Portfolio managers are stockbrokers on a grander scale as they buy and sell stocks through large orders as they manage larger stock portfolios. These might include mutual funds, retirement funds, and pension funds, which contain a bundle of securities (stocks, bonds, etc) that are handled by the portfolio manager.
• Investment bankers
• Help companies list their shares publicly on exchanges.
  

Who makes up the stock market ecosystem?

To better understand how the stock market works you will need to understand the varying components that make up the primary market. Investors buying and selling stock make up the biggest component of the stock market, however, there are plenty of middlemen acting between those buyers and sellers earning money by providing services to them. Below are some examples:

• The stock exchanges charge a small transaction fee and listing fee to the companies that offer their shares on the exchange.
• Agents are the middlemen connecting the buyers with sellers. For connecting each side of the transaction they take a commission.
• Principals are broker-dealer firms that manage a portfolio of shares they're willing to sell. Broker-dealers usually earn a profit by adding a markup to stocks they sell and charge investors less than the full value when buying stock. For example, have you ever noticed how much more car dealerships will sell cars for versus what they offered to pay you for your old one? Brokerages do something similar with stocks.
• Retail investors are people who invest for themselves, and not as part of their job, are retail investors. These individuals manage their own stocks (or other assets) through personal accounts with brokerages.
• Custodians. Brokerage firms use custodians to physically hold stocks, which is seen as less of a risk in terms of loss, theft, or damage. For doing so they charge a fee.
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What is the history of the stock market?

The original concept of the stock market is the opportunity for a company to divide its ownership, known as equity, and sell it to investors. This practice dates back hundreds of years to the 1600s where European explorers would raise money for their ventures by selling shares in the company.

Investors would then get a cut of the explorer's missions, whether it be bringing back foreign spices or animal hides. The Dutch East India Company was a pioneer in this movement, selling shares in exchange for future profits on Amsterdam's stock exchange.

A century later and the first modern stock exchange was launched in London. Due to a high amount of fraud and minimal information on the company available to the public, the London Stock Exchange was created in 1773 which provided a consistent and fair platform on which to trade stocks.

Across the pond in 1790 the first stock exchange was formed in Philidelphia, followed shortly after by the New York Stock Exchange. Fast forward to modern days and the NYSE now provides both digital trading and a physical trading floor on Wall Street, the latter of which is a National Historic Landmark.

Nasdaq (National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations) launched in 1971 as the world's first electronic market. The electronic stock exchange is a popular option for tech companies looking to list their shares and a crosstown rival to the NYSE. From a trading perspective, where the shares are listed makes little to no difference to the investor.

In conclusion: what is the stock market?

The stock market is a collective term for stock exchanges around the world that facilitate the trade of stocks and other financial instruments.