Ben McKenzie's tweet said, “Krissy Mashinsky, whose husband Alex is the CEO of Celsius, the bankrupt crypto lending firm whose slogan was “Unbank Yourself”, is selling a new t-shirt. Ht @MikeBurgersburg”
Krissy Machinsky, wife of Celsius Network CEO and founder, Alex Mashinsky, is selling new T-shirts with the inscription “Unbankrupt Yourself.” This tag has caused reactions as it makes reference to the now bankrupt crypto lending company’s slogan, “Unbank Yourself.”
Krissy Mashinsky founded the e-commerce site usastrong.io, where the shirts are sold. The company tweeted about the black version of it earlier (it comes in black, white, and gray).
However, the tweet was quoted by actor Ben McKenzie, who played Ryan Atwood on "The O.C." and is now a cryptocurrency critic and soon-to-be co-author on an investigative book.
McKenzie pointed out,
“Krissy Mashinsky, whose husband Alex is the CEO of Celsius, the bankrupt crypto lending firm whose slogan was “Unbank Yourself”, is selling a new t-shirt. Ht @MikeBurgersburg”
It is unclear when the T-shirt went on sale or where the proceeds will go. There has also been no confirmation as to who makes the product, as the e-commerce site sells from a variety of vendors.
Simon Dixon, a crypto influencer and founder, referenced Krissy and the T-shirts, and she quoted his tweet, asking if the person had ever met her and why she was brought into the situation.
However, the usastrong.io account quoted McKenzie's tweet, thanking him for the PR.
"Thank you for promoting the t-shirt. We have been able to increase T-Shirt production in Texas and add additional jobs because of your press."
Celsius had an interesting ride. It provided a very attractive, high APY for users to store their cryptocurrency. According to one lawsuit, it was a "Ponzi scheme," and it halted user withdrawals in June before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July. Customers are also unlikely to receive a refund.
According to CNBC, people have lost retirement savings, financial livelihoods, and mental well-being due to the freeze.
One Reddit user described the T-shirt as "pouring salt in the wound." Others wrote that if it came from anyone other than Krissy, they would appreciate it, but from her position, it was insulting.
