Crypto Billionaires Donate $97M to Reform UK, Outpacing All Other Parties’ Annual Fundraising

What happened: Ben Delo (BitMEX co-founder) and Christopher Harborne (Tether/Bitfinex investor) each donated £36 million (~$48.5M) to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party within a 24-hour span. The combined £72 million ($97 million) donation exceeds the £69 million raised by all UK political parties combined in the previous year. Delo structured his donation as monthly £1M installments through 2029, prepaid to circumvent anticipated donation caps, while Harborne matched the sum a day later. Both donors have longstanding ties to the crypto sector and prior political giving records.

Why it matters: This marks the largest single political donation in UK history, sharply escalating crypto’s influence in British politics. The timing—just ahead of a proposed bill to ban crypto donations and cap overseas contributions—highlights the regulatory gray zone and donors’ strategic maneuvering. The move has intensified scrutiny of crypto’s role in campaign finance, with critics warning of outsized influence and regulatory arbitrage.

Source: Decrypt, CoinDesk, Cointelegraph