Reform UK Gets $97M From BitMEX Co-Founder and Crypto Billionaire Harborne

Nigel Farage's Reform UK has received a combined 72 million pounds ($97 million) from two cryptocurrency billionaires, marking the largest donations ever made to a British political party. BitMEX co-founder Ben Delo announced a 36 million pound ($48.5 million) contribution on Friday, which Christopher Harborne matched with an identical donation announced the following day. Harborne also gave 9 million pounds to the party in August 2025.

Writing in The Telegraph, Harborne said Delo's contribution had inspired him to match it, adding that he expected "no peerage, no policy change, just a party that is ready for government." Delo, who co-founded the BitMEX cryptocurrency exchange, told The Telegraph his donation represented 1 million pounds per month until a projected 2029 general election, but he paid the full amount upfront to prevent it from being blocked. Farage welcomed both contributions, saying the funding would allow Reform to contest the next election on "a level playing field."

The donations have drawn renewed scrutiny over crypto's influence on UK politics. Cointelegraph previously reported that Farage was under investigation after receiving gifts from Harborne and George Cottrell, another figure tied to the crypto industry. Farage, who resigned from Parliament in July amid the scandal and won a subsequent by-election with 63% of the vote, has denied any wrongdoing. Labour MPs were reportedly considering making a March moratorium on crypto donations permanent in response to the controversy.

Delo's donation carries additional weight given his legal history. He was one of three BitMEX co-founders, alongside Arthur Hayes and Samuel Reed, who pleaded guilty to federal charges in the US related to violations of the Bank Secrecy Act. While Delo agreed to pay a $10 million fine in 2022, he did not serve prison time. His involvement in UK political funding underscores the growing intersection between cryptocurrency wealth and mainstream political campaigns.