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 together with his followers, stating: “Women and gents, that is REAL!”
We must be actual.
We didn’t hit our minimal increase.
All bids might be refunded in full.
This isn’t the tip.— Actual World Gaming (@getrealtoken) April 6, 2025
Refunds Processed By Ethereum Blockchain
In accordance with on-chain information, all refunds had been processed promptly. A “Settle” batch transaction was deployed to the rwg.eth handle at block 22212460 round 3:50 PM Jap time on Sunday. All refunds had been distributed utilizing USDC over the Ethereum community, guaranteeing individuals acquired their a refund.
The token used a sealed-bid public sale mechanism via Axis Finance. This method was designed to extend equity by permitting individuals to put non-public bids at their most well-liked value factors. Regardless of RWG claiming this technique “set a brand new benchmark” for “equity and transparency in token launches,” the system failed to ascertain a clearing value because of inadequate funding.
Movie star Tokens Shedding Enchantment Amid Broader Crypto Hunch
The failed launch indicators weakening investor curiosity in celebrity-backed tokens. Conor McGregor had insisted the token wasn’t “some celebrity-endorsed token” however slightly “a REAL recreation changer that can enhance the crypto ecosystem.” His phrases apparently didn’t persuade sufficient traders.
Women and gents, that is REAL! https://t.co/uhBgjAHotX
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 6, 2025
Data from CoinMarketCap reveals the broader memecoin market has dropped by 10.9%, lowering its complete 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 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 steered Eire ought to contemplate leaving the European Union, in response to experiences.
Regardless of the preliminary failure, a spokesperson from RWG stated they need 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
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