What's unique about RealGold?

RealGold sets a new standard for responsible and regenerative gold-backed assets - it enables ownership of gold without mining or extraction. The certified gold-in-ground is managed as real estate rights on a cryptographic ledger, and results in the sales of RealGold assets in two forms:

1. Fractional real-estate shares that qualify for tax-deferred §1031 exchanges.

2. RealGold crypto tokens that trade 24/7 at ounce parity with spot gold.

No mining, no vault storage - just fully certified, tradable gold that stays in the ground.

How do you know that the gold in the ground is actually there?

In a similar manner to knowing that gold in a vault is actually there — via verification by 3rd party, certified experts.

Every gold mining company worldwide relies on certified geologists and geological assays to measure in-ground resources, and so does RealGold. Each gold claim that enters the RealGold system must first submit a Resource Report authored by a Certified Professional Geologist (CPG). The CPG evaluates historical mining activity, supervises collection of core samples, validates laboratory assays through strict QA/QC protocols, and constructs a 3-D geographical block model that categorizes the mineral resources as Measured, Indicated, or Inferred - each level reflecting a level of geological certainty. 

All of this information and data is then compiled into a Certified Resource Report, which must meet and/or exceed N.I. 43-101 (Canadian) and SK-1300 (American) securities reporting standards. Reports that fulfill these standards are considered the industry’s most rigorous proof that an in-ground mineral resource exists.

Every resource report, block model, and subsequent audit of RealGold’s reserves are published to the Real Assets Registry, a public, tamper-proof, Holochain ledger. Via the browser-based RealGold ‘block explorer’, anyone will be able to inspect the data to verify that each RG token or DST share is matched at least 2:1 to specific, independently certified ounces still safely in the ground.

When will the gold get dug up?

Ideally, never. RealGold safeguards gold in “nature’s vault,” managing ownership in place just as bullion banks track bars on vault shelves. Keeping gold where the earth put it avoids the cost, carbon, and security overhead of digging it out only to lock the gold in a different hole called a vault.

The mineral rights themselves are held by a perpetual land stewardship trust. Trustees must demonstrate, year-by-year, that the Trust is adding regenerative value - performing environmental remediation, restoring habitat, even hosting community infrastructure - so the most profitable option remains not mining.

Still, history teaches us to plan for edge cases: eminent-domain takings, national emergencies, or a future technology that changes the environmental impact and/or cost-benefit calculus. To protect holders under any scenario, RealGold withholds 50–80 % of the certified ounces as an un-issued reserve. If the gold is ever mined, you still own your portion of the interest in it, and could opt-in to cashing out your RealGold holdings.

Can I exchange Real.Gold for physical gold?

Yes, through our partnership with an accredited bullion broker. To honor the non-extractive charter, redemptions are fulfilled with bullion already mined and refined, typically not by mining the in-ground resources that back RealGold. 

At launch, redemption is limited to asset depositors (those who originally placed mineral rights into the system). As the Treasury builds a buffer of vaulted bullion, general token-holders may also get access to this redemption process. Standard vault-withdrawal and broker fees apply, and caps on volume or frequency may be imposed to preserve the spirit of RealGold’s non-extractive mandate.

How is RealGold different from Commodities Exchange or ETF trading of gold?

Commercially traded gold instruments - COMEX futures, LBMA forwards, and most gold ETFs - trade claims on already-mined bullion stacked in a handful of vaults worldwide. Investors pay storage, insurance, and audit fees, and never actually “hold” the gold. Redemption is often onerous, involving taking delivery of 400-plus-ounce “Good-Delivery” bars in London on a specific settlement day. Those bars carry the full ecological cost of mining and concentrate counter-party risk in a few vault operators.

RealGold flips that model, eliminating mining damage, storage costs, and single-point vault risk, while layering in a regenerative stewardship framework that turns an ancient store of value into a perpetual ecological endowment.

Why would RealGold trade on par with the commodities spot price of gold?

Traditional exploration companies sell future ounces that must still be drilled, permitted, mined, and refined - steps loaded with cost, time, and regulatory risk. RealGold removes those unknowns, so the market can value each ounce of RealGold on par with the live spot price of gold bullion:

1. Over-collateralization – For every ounce unit of RealGold released to markets, at least two certified ounces of gold remain in the ground. If extraction were ever to occur, this reserve more than covers the all in sustaining cost (AISC) of mining an ounce of gold, in order to make every holder of RealGold whole.

2. Easy convertibility – At any time, land-share owners may use the guaranteed buyer clause to sell to the RealGold Treasury for an equivalent number of RG tokens. They can then exchange RG tokens for dollar-pegged stablecoins on secondary crypto markets, all priced off the current spot gold quote.

3. Active liquidity support – RealGold will maintain continuous buy-and-sell liquidity on decentralized and centralized cryptocurrency exchanges, guided by real-time gold price feeds, so day-to-day trading will naturally hug the global XAU price.

With excess backing, a clear redemption path, and round-the-clock liquidity, RealGold functionally acts no different than the trading of receipts on gold in a vault.

Who upholds the integrity of RealGold?

Three purpose-built entities work together: the Real Assets Foundation maintains the Holochain Registry, certifies incoming geological assay data, and manages the release schedules. The RealGold Treasury provides token issuance, redemption, liquidity, and manages the bullion-redemption process. Lastly, a network of perpetual stewardship trusts hold legal title to the mineral rights.

What is the Real Assets Registry?

The Registry is a tamper-resistant Holochain ledger managed by the non-profit Real Assets Foundation. It records every certified resource report, block-model ounce, audit, release schedule, token issuance/redemption, and regenerative impact score. Because the data live on a public, append-only ledger, anyone can verify at any time that every RG token or DST share is fully collateralized by certified in-ground gold and that new supply is unlocked only when impact targets are met.

What is the Tripartite Trust Framework?

The Tripartite Trust framework represents a fundamental reimagining of how we manage and steward land and resources. It rebundles property rights into three mutually accountable, interconnected trusts - Mineral, Biological, and Social - each serving as guardian of a vital aspect of the land. Through mutual accountability, the trusts ensure decisions benefit the whole rather than privileging one interest. The exact legal form varies by jurisdiction, but the goal is perpetual, accountable stewardship to people and planet.

How does RealGold ensure environmental and social impact?

Annual gold releases are conditional on meeting regenerative performance metrics - soil-carbon gains, water quality, biodiversity counts, local-hire hours, or other site written into the Real Assets Registry; if a project falls short, new ounces will not be released.

How can I acquire RealGold?

Accredited Investors will be able to (a) purchase RealGold DST shares of IRS §1031-eligible real estate through qualified intermediaries or (b) buy RG tokens at https://real.gold or via crypto trading pairs on a DEX or CEX. A waiting-list for first priority allocations is available on the Real.Gold web site.

When will RealGold be launched?

It's our goal to start offering RealGold 1031-eligible DST interests in Q3 of 2025. The RealGold cryptocurrency token launch will follow as we establish relationships with exchanges and crypto markets.

Who is the team behind RealGold?

We're a cross-disciplinary team with backgrounds spanning technology, currency design, financial services, web3, real estate, and the mining industry. We'll publish a full team roster before launching. For now our team is still growing. Meet some of us by joining the RealGold Telegram channel, where we host an active community. 

If you are interested in working with us, we'd love to hear from you. Email us at info[at]real[dot]gold and we'll be sure to get back to you promptly.