Reform UK raises £9.3M as crypto donors dominate funding

Reform UK pulled in £9.3 million in donations during the first quarter of 2026, making it the top-funded political party in the UK for the third consecutive quarter. The kicker: roughly £7 million of that, about 75% of the total, came from just two cryptocurrency entrepreneurs.

Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo, both prominent British figures in the digital asset world, collectively wrote the checks that keep Nigel Farage’s party financially dominant. Delo contributed upwards of £4 million, while Harborne chipped in more than £3 million, according to Electoral Commission data published on June 4, 2026.

The crypto fundraising machine

Reform UK made a deliberate strategic move in 2025 to become the first major UK political party to accept Bitcoin and other digital asset donations, processing them through a third-party platform called Radom.

Harborne alone has funneled a cumulative £15 million into Reform UK coffers over the prior year, with individual donations reaching as high as £9 million and £12 million during 2025. Reform UK remains the only major UK party currently accepting digital asset donations.

The regulatory storm ahead

The UK government has been developing regulations aimed squarely at the intersection of crypto and political finance. The planned restrictions include an outright ban on cryptocurrency donations to political parties, along with a £100,000 cap on overseas contributions. These rules were slated for implementation with a target date of March 2026.

Farage has hinted at legal challenges to fight the restrictions, framing them as an attack on political innovation and donor freedom.

Critics argue the party’s dependence on a small number of ultra-wealthy crypto donors raises serious questions about influence and transparency. When two individuals account for three-quarters of your funding, the optics are, let’s say, not ideal for a party that brands itself as a populist movement.

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