Chelsea signs Circle (CRCL.US) after FCA warning, USDC's jersey sparks controversy

Zhitongcaijing · 2d ago

According to Woofun AI, Chelsea FC reached a sponsorship agreement with Circle (CRCL.US). The move occurred only three months after the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued a severe warning, creating a strong regulatory and commercial contrast.

Cooperation details indicate that the USDC logo will be printed on 2026/2027 players' jerseys. Earlier, the FCA sent a letter to the Premier League club warning against using the trust of soccer fans to sign contracts with unauthorized companies, which is suspected of violating financial services regulations. Woofun AI collated data and showed that the collaboration was extremely short, highlighting compliance risks.

Lucy Castaldine, head of consumer investment affairs at the FCA, stressed that millions of fans trust clubs and should not be used to promote high-risk products. Although Circle UK Trading Limited has been authorized to provide specific financial services to UK residents since 2018, USDC is not issued under UK law. Lawmakers are still refining the regulatory framework. Although Circle (CRCL.US) claims to be issued by a regulated related agency, it is actually in the grey area of the law.

Cointelegraph has reached out to Circle (CRCL.US) and the UK Financial Conduct Authority for comment and has yet to receive a response.