TLDR
- Ben Delo said he donated £4 million, or $5.1 million, to Reform UK.
- He disclosed the contribution in a Telegraph opinion piece on Wednesday.
- Delo said the money was given “since the start of this year.”
- He said the donation would help build Reform UK into “a genuine alternative party of government.”
- The report did not confirm whether he donated in fiat currency or crypto.
Ben Delo said he gave £4 million, or $5.1 million, to Reform UK this year. He disclosed the donation in a Telegraph opinion article on Wednesday. The contribution supports Nigel Farage’s party as it seeks wider national backing.
BitMEX-linked Funding Adds to Reform UK’s Donor List
Delo wrote that he wants Reform UK to become “a genuine alternative party of government.” He did not say whether he sent pounds or cryptoassets.
The Telegraph piece said the money arrived “since the start of this year.” Reform UK and Delo have not published extra payment details. The article appeared on Wednesday in the newspaper.
Farage confirmed the backing on X after Delo’s article appeared. He wrote that “brave people like Ben Delo” were becoming “even more determined” to support Reform UK.
Electoral Commission records do not show any entry under Delo or BitMEX. CoinDesk also reported that Delo did not answer its request for more information.
The donation follows another large Reform UK contribution from the crypto sector. In December, Christopher Harborne gave £9 million to the party. The party has reported both donations in recent filings records.
Harborne is a Thailand-based entrepreneur with investments in Tether and Bitfinex. That earlier gift placed more crypto-linked wealth behind Reform UK.
Delo’s statement now adds a fresh £4 million to that fundraising picture. The new disclosure keeps Reform UK tied to high-value donors connected to digital assets. Farage later welcomed that support on X after publication.
UK Rules Still Allow Crypto Political Donations
Current Electoral Commission guidance does not ban crypto donations under electoral law. Instead, parties must treat them as non-monetary donations and record a pound value.
The commission updated that guidance on April 7, 2026. It said parties must value crypto at the time they receive it.
Rules also require parties to verify donor identity for contributions above £500. Those checks apply because regulators must confirm that each donor is permissible.
The commission also referenced government plans for a moratorium on crypto donations. It said the change could reach contributions received from March 25, 2026.
No legal change has taken effect yet, according to that guidance. So, crypto donations remain allowed under existing rules for now.
Late last month, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government announced an immediate moratorium on cryptocurrency donations. Ministers cited concerns about hiding the origin and purpose of political money.
That announcement placed digital assets inside a wider effort against foreign interference. The Electoral Commission said proposed rules may apply retrospectively from March 25, 2026. That date matches the commission’s latest published guidance.
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