Conor McGregor-Backed REAL Token Fails to Reach $1 Million Target, Investors to Get Refunds

April 7, 2025 – The REAL token, promoted by former UFC champion Conor McGregor, has fallen short of its fundraising goal. Despite high-profile backing and significant promotion, the token failed to reach the $1 million minimum target set by the developers during its presale event on April 5 and 6.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the developers of the REAL token, Real World Gaming (RWG), acknowledged the failure, stating:
“We need to be real. We didn’t hit our minimum raise. All bids will be refunded in full.”

Underwhelming Presale Performance

The presale, which lasted 28 hours, saw the project raise just $392,000 in USDC, less than half of the required $1 million. The funds raised amount to only about 11% of the project’s $3.6 million target.

The REAL token presale offered 60 million tokens, representing 3% of the total 2 billion REAL supply, with an initial fully diluted value of $120 million. The sealed-bid auction began with a price of $0.06 per token.

Despite the enthusiastic backing from McGregor, the token’s presale failed to attract sufficient investor interest, raising questions about the market demand for the project.

McGregor’s Ambitions for REAL Token

Conor McGregor had initially claimed that his REAL token would be different from other celebrity-backed tokens, which have been associated with scams and rug pulls. In a previous interview, McGregor emphasized that the REAL token would be built with transparency and integrity.

“I changed the FIGHT game,” McGregor wrote on X. “I changed the WHISKEY game. I changed the STOUT game. Now it’s time to change the CRYPTO game. This is just the beginning.”

Staking Plans and Market Conditions

The REAL token’s whitepaper outlined a staking plan designed to reward users who regularly participate and stake significant amounts of the token. The plan offered extra status points and the potential for revenue bonuses, aiming to provide a more interactive and rewarding experience for token holders.

However, the token launched amidst a challenging market environment. Bitcoin (BTC) was down sharply, trading around $76,000 during the presale period. The market also saw major losses in U.S. stocks, with an estimated $6.6 trillion lost over just two days—on April 3 and 4—due to tariff concerns raised by U.S. President Donald Trump, fueling recession fears.

The timing of the launch, amid a sharp market downturn, likely contributed to the underwhelming performance of the presale.

Community Reaction

@Chandana_cx: Why go with an auction? And launching on ETH was a bad call. This isn’t how crypto Twitter works.
@BeingJugraj: Tried to get a refund on the token – the click doesn’t work.
@comradeK420: Give it 9 months and try again. No one is bidding on new projects right now.

Was it just bad timing, or was the REAL token never really ready for this market?

What’s Next for the REAL Token?

Although the REAL token failed to meet its fundraising target, RWG remains optimistic. The team’s statement indicated that the presale shortfall is not the end of the project. They have promised to refund all participating investors in full and hinted at potential future developments, though specifics remain unclear.

The failure of the REAL token presale marks a significant setback for McGregor’s ambitious foray into the cryptocurrency space, highlighting the challenges faced by celebrity-backed crypto projects in gaining traction with investors.