UFC fighter Conor McGregor’s foray into cryptocurrency hit a roadblock this weekend. His “REAL” token didn’t launch after elevating solely $392,315 from 668 bidders throughout its 28-hour presale. The quantity fell far in need of 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 circumstances” as a key issue within the failed launch. The timing couldn’t have been worse for McGregor’s crypto enterprise.
Bitcoin dropped under $75,000 whereas U.S. shares suffered an estimated $6.6 trillion loss on April 3 and 4 — reportedly the most important two-day loss ever — as US President Donald Trump’s tariff plans stirred recession fears.
“All bids might be refunded in full,” RWG introduced on X after the public sale closed. McGregor shared the announcement along with his followers, stating: “Girls and gents, that is REAL!”
We have to be actual.
We didn’t hit our minimal increase.
All bids might be refunded in full.
This isn’t the top.— Actual World Gaming (@getrealtoken) April 6, 2025
Refunds Processed By Ethereum Blockchain
In response to on-chain information, all refunds have been processed promptly. A “Settle” batch transaction was deployed to the rwg.eth deal with at block 22212460 round 3:50 PM Japanese time on Sunday. All refunds have been distributed utilizing USDC over the Ethereum community, making certain members acquired their a refund.
The token used a sealed-bid public sale mechanism via Axis Finance. This strategy was designed to extend equity by permitting members to position non-public bids at their most popular worth factors. Regardless of RWG claiming this technique “set a brand new benchmark” for “equity and transparency in token launches,” the system failed to determine a clearing worth as a consequence of inadequate funding.
Celeb Tokens Dropping Attraction Amid Broader Crypto Stoop
The failed launch indicators weakening investor curiosity in celebrity-backed tokens. Conor McGregor had insisted the token wasn’t “some celebrity-endorsed token” however moderately “a REAL recreation changer that can enhance the crypto ecosystem.” His phrases apparently didn’t persuade sufficient traders.
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%, decreasing its whole worth to $44.5 billion from over $100 billion originally 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 not too long ago signaled his intention to run for President of Eire, in keeping with 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 prompt Eire ought to take into account leaving the European Union, in keeping with experiences.
Regardless of the preliminary failure, a spokesperson from RWG mentioned 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 bitcoinist 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 staff of high know-how specialists and seasoned editors. This course of ensures the integrity, relevance, and worth of our content material for our readers.
