In a remarkable display of financial influence, two cryptocurrency billionaires have collectively donated £72 million ($97 million) to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party in just 24 hours. This unprecedented act of generosity sets a new record for individual donations in the political landscape of the United Kingdom.
On September 13, 2026, Ben Delo, co-founder of the BitMEX cryptocurrency exchange, initiated the historic contributions with a £36 million donation. The following day, Christopher Harborne, an investor linked to stablecoin issuer Tether and crypto exchange Bitfinex, matched Delo’s commitment with an identical amount. Notably, this duo’s contributions represent the largest single donations ever made to a political party in the UK.
In a statement, Harborne expressed that his motivation for matching Delo’s donation stemmed from a desire to support a party that he believes is prepared for government, stating, “No peerage, no policy change, just a party that is ready for government.” Meanwhile, Delo emphasized that his substantial gift was aimed at ensuring a fair contest in the upcoming elections, noting that the £36 million donation equates to £1 million per month leading up to the next general election in 2029.
Farage welcomed the influx of funds, asserting that these donations would enable Reform UK to compete on equal footing in future elections. This is not the first time either donor has contributed to the party; Harborne previously donated £9 million in August 2025, while Delo had also supported Reform in early 2026. Together, they accounted for approximately 76% of Reform’s reported donations in the first quarter of 2026, excluding public funds, according to Electoral Commission data.
Harborne’s previous donation of £12 million in December 2025 was recorded as the largest single contribution to a British political party by a living donor at that time. His latest gift now surpasses that figure by four times, underscoring the growing financial ties between the crypto industry and UK politics.
Farage’s proactive approach in courting support from the cryptocurrency sector was evident during a Bitcoin conference in Las Vegas in May 2025, where he pledged to establish a Bitcoin reserve at the Bank of England and implement a 10% capital gains tax on crypto assets, while also vowing to prevent banks from closing accounts linked to cryptocurrency activities.
However, these significant donations have not come without controversy. The Metropolitan Police are currently investigating allegations surrounding Reform’s political funding, and Farage faces a parliamentary standards inquiry related to a £5 million personal gift from Harborne prior to his election as an MP in 2024. Both Farage and Reform UK have denied any wrongdoing.
In a twist of events, Farage resigned from his MP position in July, citing a crypto scandal, yet emerged victorious in the subsequent by-election with a striking 63% of the vote.
As the political landscape evolves, the UK government has announced plans to ban political donations made in cryptocurrency and to impose a cap on contributions from overseas donors at £100,000 per year. Labour MPs have also discussed the possibility of making this moratorium permanent.
It’s worth noting that Delo has his own legal history in the United States, having pleaded guilty to violations of the Bank Secrecy Act alongside two other BitMEX co-founders, resulting in a $10 million fine and a pardon from former President Donald Trump in March 2025.
While the Electoral Commission has confirmed that no UK political party has reported donations identified as crypto assets to date, the involvement of crypto billionaires in political funding raises important questions about the intersection of finance and governance in the digital age.
