In Brief:
- The Sandbox (official site) has initiated compensation claims for SAND holders affected by the August 22 bridge exploit.
- Claims are open from September 8 until September 22, 2026, with one-to-one compensation in SAND on Ethereum.
- Eligibility is based on a fixed snapshot taken before the exploit, requiring no additional documentation for holders.
Compensation Claims Open for SAND Holders
The Sandbox has officially launched compensation claims for all SAND holders whose assets were impacted by a bridge exploit on August 22. Users who held bridged SAND on Base or BNB Smart Chain prior to the incident are eligible to receive compensation at a one-to-one ratio, paid in SAND on the Ethereum network.
The claim process is accessible via the official site, running from September 8 to September 22, 2026, at 4 PM UTC. The company stated that anyone legitimately holding SAND on the affected networks before the exploit is entitled to full compensation.
Snapshot-Based Eligibility
Eligibility is derived from an on-chain snapshot taken just before the attack. Specifically, this snapshot on Base occurred at block 50,283,188 on August 21, 2026, at 23:42:03 UTC, while on BNB Smart Chain it was recorded at block 117,322,025, 11:42:44 UTC. The Sandbox emphasized that any post-exploit actions, such as trading or moving funds, do not affect a holder’s entitlement.
This restitution model allows for straightforward claims, requiring only the controlling wallet used during the snapshot period. No forms or additional documentation are necessary.
Two Claim Paths
Holders who maintained SAND on centralized exchanges will not need to take action, as The Sandbox is working with these exchanges to handle compensation directly. Individual wallet holders can complete the claim process through the dedicated claim page, which requires a single transaction from their wallet.
The Sandbox has also warned against scams during this claiming phase, highlighting that legitimate claims will not require token approvals, off-chain message signings, or any funds sent elsewhere.
Deadline Flexibility for Late Claims
Those who miss the September 22 deadline need not worry; The Sandbox has indicated that late claims will be considered on a case-by-case basis until the end of October. Users are encouraged to contact the studio directly for submissions made after the cutoff.
Details of the Exploit
The need for compensation follows an exploit that surfaced on August 21, 2026, at 23:41 UTC. The vulnerability, linked to the SAND deployment on Base and BNB Smart Chain, allowed the attacker to function as the sole validator for incoming bridge messages. This manipulation led to the minting of unbacked SAND, with forensic analysis estimating approximately 14,742,341.84 SAND was drained, equating to around $697,000 with a total economic impact of nearly $1.5 million.
SAND on Ethereum and Polygon remains unaffected, preserving the supply of 3 billion tokens. The exploit did not impact the Ethereum vault backing the bridge, and funds for the compensation will be drawn from The Sandbox’s treasury without any new SAND being generated.
The contracts on Base and BNB Smart Chain are permanently retired, with future bridge functionality to be conducted through newly established contracts. Any SAND remaining on those networks is non-transferable and unredeemable.
