Metaverse Projects Push Back Against User Metrics
Ethereum blockchain-based metaverse projects Decentraland (MANA) and Sandbox (SAND) have pushed back against reports claiming low daily user activity, labeling the metrics used to measure engagement as “misinformed”. Concerns arose from data provided by DappRadar, which suggested that Decentraland had a mere 30 daily active users (DAUs) despite boasting a market cap of over $1.2 billion.
Decentraland’s Clarification
In response to the controversy, Decentraland took to Twitter on October 8, stating, “some websites are tracking only specific smart contract transactions but reporting them as daily active users […] which is inaccurate.” The platform argued that better data could be found on DCL Metrics, a custom-built data aggregator that measures DAUs based on user logins and interactions with virtual parcels. According to Septembers’ numbers, it reported 56,700 monthly active users, but only 1,074 of them (roughly 1.89%) had directly interacted with Decentraland’s smart contracts.
The Sandbox Defends Its User Base
Similarly, Sandbox’s CEO, Arthur Madrid, countered claims of low user activity, emphasizing on Twitter that on-chain transactions do not equate to user numbers, pointing out that NFT collectors invest for the long-term value. He revealed that the Sandbox had 201,000 monthly active users. This narrative illustrates the persistent disparity between on-chain metrics and actual user engagement.
Community Sentiment
Despite the optimistic clarifications from project leaders, community sentiment has been less positive, as highlighted in a recent Reddit thread where users dubbed Decentraland “Desertedland” and described it as a “ghost town.” This criticism indicates growing concerns within the community regarding the engagement levels on these platforms.
Market Context
The backdrop of this dispute is the current bear market affecting legitimate metaverse projects, which have all experienced significant declines in token prices. As of now, Decentraland (MANA) is trading at approximately $0.65, down 88.8% from its all-time high of $5.85, while Sandbox (SAND) sits at $0.78, down 90.6% from its ATH of $8.40. Both tokens have fallen by over 5% in the last 24 hours.
