UFC fighter Conor McGregor’s foray into cryptocurrency hit a roadblock this weekend. His “REAL” token did not launch after elevating solely $392,315 from 668 bidders throughout its 28-hour presale. The quantity fell far wanting the $1,008,000 minimal requirement wanted to proceed with the launch.
Market Downturn Blamed For Poor Reception
Actual World Gaming DAO (RWG), the developer behind the token, pointed to “difficult macroeconomic situations” as a key issue within the failed launch. The timing couldn’t have been worse for McGregor’s crypto enterprise.
Bitcoin dropped beneath $75,000 whereas U.S. shares suffered an estimated $6.6 trillion loss on April 3 and 4 — reportedly the biggest two-day loss ever — as US President Donald Trump’s tariff plans stirred recession fears.
“All bids will likely be refunded in full,” RWG introduced on X after the public sale closed. McGregor shared the announcement together with his followers, stating: “Girls and gents, that is REAL!”
We have to be actual.
We didn’t hit our minimal elevate.
All bids will likely be refunded in full.
This isn’t the top.— Actual World Gaming (@getrealtoken) April 6, 2025
Refunds Processed By means of Ethereum Blockchain
In response to on-chain knowledge, all refunds have been processed promptly. A “Settle” batch transaction was deployed to the rwg.eth tackle at block 22212460 round 3:50 PM Japanese time on Sunday. All refunds have been distributed utilizing USDC over the Ethereum community, guaranteeing contributors acquired their a reimbursement.
The token used a sealed-bid public sale mechanism via Axis Finance. This strategy was designed to extend equity by permitting contributors to position personal bids at their most well-liked worth factors. Regardless of RWG claiming this methodology “set a brand new benchmark” for “equity and transparency in token launches,” the system failed to determine a clearing worth attributable to inadequate funding.
Superstar Tokens Shedding Enchantment Amid Broader Crypto Stoop
The failed launch alerts weakening investor curiosity in celebrity-backed tokens. Conor McGregor had insisted the token wasn’t “some celebrity-endorsed token” however reasonably “a REAL sport changer that can enhance the crypto ecosystem.” His phrases apparently did not persuade sufficient buyers.
Girls and gents, that is REAL! https://t.co/uhBgjAHotX
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 6, 2025
Knowledge from CoinMarketCap exhibits the broader memecoin market has dropped by 10.9%, lowering its whole worth to $44.5 billion from over $100 billion at the start of 2025. This decline follows controversial launches of political meme cash, together with an official Trump meme coin in January and Argentine President Javier Milei’s token in February, which reportedly resulted in fraud prices and investor lawsuits.
McGregor’s Political Aspirations Complicate Crypto Enterprise
Including one other layer to the story, Conor McGregor has just lately signaled his intention to run for President of Eire, in response to experiences in March. The fighter has additionally aligned himself with Trump’s financial insurance policies.
Following Trump’s announcement of 20% tariffs on Irish items (in comparison with 10% on UK items), Conor McGregor advised Eire ought to contemplate leaving the European Union, in response to experiences.
Regardless of the preliminary failure, a spokesperson from RWG stated they wish to relaunch the token quickly. Whether or not the second try will succeed within the present financial local weather stays to be seen.
Featured picture from Gemini Imagen, chart from TradingView
Editorial Course of for is centered on delivering completely researched, correct, and unbiased content material. We uphold strict sourcing requirements, and every web page undergoes diligent overview by our crew of high know-how specialists and seasoned editors. This course of ensures the integrity, relevance, and worth of our content material for our readers.
