Arthur Madrid Exits Sandbox CEO Role Amid Animoca Restructuring

Arthur Madrid, a French entrepreneur and blockchain gaming expert, is best known for co-founding The Sandbox, one of the largest NFT-based virtual gaming platforms. He served as CEO from October 2018 until August 2025 when The Sandbox restructured, and Madrid transitioned to a non-executive chairman role.

Madrid spent nearly two decades building consumer internet and mobile products before entering blockchain gaming in 2018. His career spans several companies, including Pixowl, which he co-founded with Sébastien Borget in 2011. The studio built the original Sandbox game, a family-friendly mobile title that was named one of Apple's Best Games of 2012.

The Sandbox was relaunched as a blockchain platform in 2018, and under Madrid's leadership, its utility token SAND reached a diluted valuation of over $1.5 billion. The company also sold virtual LAND parcels to brands, celebrities, and individual collectors during the metaverse boom.