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

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.
• 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. So it's probably not what it seems.

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. But it’s probably not what it seems.

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. About four hours later, Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire shared it with a note addressed to the rapper: "DJ Khaled welcome to team USDC."

Nothing in either post announces a sponsorship, an ambassador role, or any money. It reads more like a cheeky nod. Circle is Chelsea's official front-of-shirt sponsor, and Khaled turns up at the club through a separate door: Chelsea's Roc Nation announcement in May involved DJ Khaled as a promotional stunt.