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 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 elevate.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 keeping with on-chain information, all refunds have been processed promptly. A “Settle” batch transaction was deployed to the rwg.eth tackle at block 22212460 round 3:50 PM Jap time on Sunday. All refunds have been distributed utilizing USDC over the Ethereum community, guaranteeing individuals obtained their a refund.
The token used a sealed-bid public sale mechanism by means of Axis Finance. This method was designed to extend equity by permitting individuals to position non-public bids at their most popular 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 resulting from 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 reasonably “a REAL sport changer that can enhance the crypto ecosystem.” His phrases apparently did not persuade sufficient traders.
Women 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 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 keeping with studies 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 recommended Eire ought to think about leaving the European Union, in keeping with studies.
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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