BitMEX Co-Founders Give Reform UK Record £72M In 24 Hours

Crypto investors Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo, co-founders of the BitMEX exchange, donated a combined £72 million ($97.4 million) to Reform UK within a 24-hour window, marking the largest individual donations ever made to a UK political party. The unprecedented injection of funds began on Saturday when Harborne contributed £36 million ($48.7 million) to Nigel Farage's party, followed within hours by Delo matching the figure with his own £36 million donation.

Under UK electoral law, donations above £7,500 must be reported to the Electoral Commission, and the commission has the authority to investigate the source of funds and the legality of contributions. Both Harborne and Delo have previously supported Reform UK, but never at this scale. Harborne, a Thai-based crypto entrepreneur, has been a significant donor to the party since 2023, while Delo, who stepped down from BitMEX's board in 2020, has also contributed in prior cycles.

The £72 million total exceeds the combined individual donations received by the Conservative and Labour parties in the last full reporting period, underscoring the scale of this financial intervention. For traders and political observers, the donations signal that crypto wealth is becoming a decisive force in UK politics, potentially influencing the party's policy stance on digital assets and financial regulation.

Reform UK has not yet announced how the funds will be allocated, but the party is expected to use the money to fund campaign operations ahead of upcoming elections. The Electoral Commission has not commented on whether it will open a formal investigation, and no regulatory action has been announced as of this writing.