Stablecoin

USDC

United

would

Update (Aug. 28, 8:30 pm UTC): This article has been updated to include information about the FCA’s oversight of stablecoins.
Update (Aug. 29, 12:00 pm UTC): This article has been updated to include a statement from Circle.
Circle, the issuer behind the USDC stablecoin, will be the latest sponsor for the Chelsea Football Club just months after the UK’s financial watchdog warned about “questionable sponsorship deals with unauthorized financial firms,” including crypto companies.
In a Friday announcement, Circle <a href="https://www.circle.com/pressroom/chelsea-fc-and-circle-bring-usdc-brand-to-the-global-game" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">said</a> its name and USDC would appear on jerseys for Chelsea FC players in the 2026/2027 season. The partnership deal between the football club and the digital asset company came about three months after the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) <a href="https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/football-clubs-warned-questionable-sponsorship-deals-unauthorised-firms" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">said</a> it had sent warning letters to clubs in the Premier League, potentially including Chelsea.
The letters concerned “unauthorized” companies, including crypto businesses, using sponsorship deals to target football fans, potentially breaching UK financial services laws. Circle UK Trading Limited, the company’s UK arm, has been listed as a company authorized under the FCA to provide certain financial services to residents since 2018.
Stablecoins like USDC are also legal to use in the country, though lawmakers are <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/lords-warn-bank-of-england-not-to-regulate-gbp-stablecoins-into-irrelevance" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">working to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework</a> for the digital assets. The financial watchdog is <a href="https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/fca-sets-landmark-crypto-rules-cement-uks-place-global-hub" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">set</a> to enforce new standards on digital asset companies, including stablecoin issuers, starting in October 2027.
Notably, although Circle said that USDC was “issued by certain regulated affiliates,” the stablecoin was “not issued or regulated under the laws of the United Kingdom.” An FCA spokesperson declined to comment on the sponsorship. A Circle spokesperson told Cointelegraph said “this is about building brand image not a financial promotion.“
Related: <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/uk-government-crypto-millionaires-2025" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">UK government reports 240 crypto millionaires in 2025</a>

Chelsea FC gets a stablecoin sponsor after UK FCA warning to clubs

Cointelegraph

Other articles published on Aug 28, 2026

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