Conor McGregor's Crypto Token Launch Fails to Meet $1M Goal
1min read UFC fighter Conor McGregor’s venture into cryptocurrency encountered a significant setback this weekend. His “REAL” token failed to launch after raising only $392,315 from 668 bidders during its 28-hour presale. This amount fell far short of the $1,008,000 minimum requirement needed to proceed with the launch.
Real World Gaming DAO (RWG), the developer behind the token, attributed the failure to “challenging macroeconomic conditions.” The timing of the launch was particularly unfavorable, coinciding with a broader market downturn. Bitcoin dropped below $75,000, and U.S. stocks suffered an estimated $6.6 trillion loss on April 3 and 4, reportedly the largest two-day loss ever, as recession fears were stirred by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff plans.
Following the failed launch, RWG announced that all bids would be refunded in full. McGregor shared this announcement with his followers, stating, “Ladies and gentlemen, this is REAL!” The refunds were processed promptly through the Ethereum blockchain. A “Settle” batch transaction was deployed to the rwg.eth address at block 22212460 around 3:50 PM Eastern time on Sunday. All refunds were distributed using USDC over the Ethereum network, ensuring participants received their money back.
The token used a sealed-bid auction mechanism through Axis Finance, designed to increase fairness by allowing participants to place private bids at their preferred price points. Despite RWG claiming this method “set a new benchmark” for “fairness and transparency in token launches,” the system failed to establish a clearing price due to insufficient funding.
The failed launch of McGregor’s token signals a weakening investor interest in celebrity-backed tokens. McGregor had insisted that the token wasn’t “some celebrity-endorsed token” but rather “a REAL game changer that will improve the crypto ecosystem.” However, his words did not convince enough investors. The broader memecoin market has also seen a decline, dropping by 10.9% and reducing its total value to $44.5 billion from over $100 billion at the beginning of 2025. This decline follows controversial launches of political meme coins, including an official Trump meme coin in January and Argentine President Javier Milei’s token in February, which reportedly resulted in fraud charges and investor lawsuits.
Ask Aime: Why did Conor McGregor's REAL token fail to launch despite raising $392,315 in a presale?
Adding another layer to the story, McGregor has recently signaled his intention to run for President of Ireland. The fighter has also aligned himself with Trump’s economic policies. Following Trump’s announcement of 20% tariffs on Irish goods, McGregor suggested Ireland should consider leaving the European Union. Despite the initial failure, a spokesperson from RWG said they are looking to relaunch the token soon. Whether the second attempt will succeed in the current economic climate remains to be seen.
