Circle Welcomes DJ Khaled to 'Team USDC' and Crypto Twitter Is Furious

What happened

Nothing in Circle's posts announces a sponsorship, but replies dug up Khaled's 2018 SEC settlement over a crypto fraud he promoted. Decrypt News Business Circle Welcomes DJ Khaled to 'Team USDC (Circle’s dollar-pegged token)' and Crypto Twitter Is Furious Nothing in Circle's posts announces a sponsorship, but replies dug up Khaled's 2018 SEC settlement over a crypto fraud he promoted.

But Circle is Chelsea FC's front-of-shirt partner, and Khaled is featured in the club's separate Roc Nation deal announced in May. In brief Circle's USDC account shared a photo of DJ Khaled, welcoming him to "team USDC" in a cheeky post on X.

Crypto Twitter wasn't having it, and quickly replied with reminders of Khaled's history of crypto promotions gone wrong. Circle, the issuer behind the USDC stablecoin, welcomed rapper DJ Khaled to “team USDC” in a post on X on Monday—and Crypto Twitter lost its collective mind.

Here’s what happened, and what appears to have caused the drama: USDC's official X account posted a photo of DJ Khaled wearing a Chelsea jersey with "USDC by Circle" across the chest, captioned "Another one," a nod to his signature catchphrase. It reads more like a cheeky nod.