Reform UK Gets 75% of Quarterly Donations From Trump-Pardoned Crypto Entrepreneur

Britain’s Reform UK party received a £4 million ($5.4 million) contribution from crypto entrepreneur Ben Delo during the April-June quarter, making up 75% of the party’s total donations during the period.

Delo, a British crypto investor who was convicted in the United States of violating banking secrecy rules, was pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump last year. The donation highlights the growing role of wealthy cryptocurrency figures in supporting Reform, which is led by veteran Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage.

Delo announced earlier this year that he was returning to the United Kingdom from Hong Kong and becoming more involved in politics. At the time, he said he wanted to help “save Britain before decline becomes irreversible.”

According to figures released by British election officials on Thursday, Reform raised £5.3 million in the second quarter of 2026. Although that was more than the amounts raised by its main political rivals, it represented a significant decline from the more than £9 million the party collected in each of the previous two quarters.

Delo pleaded guilty in 2022 to a U.S. banking secrecy violation. Prosecutors had accused BitMEX, the cryptocurrency company he co-founded, of intentionally failing to maintain safeguards required to prevent money laundering. Trump later pardoned Delo.

Reform welcomed the financial support, saying the party was pleased to have backing from successful British entrepreneurs as it prepares for the next general election.

The party’s latest fundraising figures also showed that Christopher Harborne, another prominent crypto entrepreneur and Reform’s largest donor, made no contribution during the quarter.

Harborne, who was born in Britain and is based in Thailand, has previously provided significant financial support to Farage and Reform. His absence from the latest figures comes as the British government moves to strengthen restrictions on political donations from British citizens living overseas.

The government has announced plans to introduce a £100,000 limit on donations from British citizens living abroad.

Harborne’s previous financial support has also become a political issue for Reform. The party’s popularity was damaged after it emerged that he had given Farage £5 million in 2024, a payment that Farage did not declare.

Parliamentary officials are examining whether the payment violated rules governing the declaration of political donations. Farage has rejected any wrongdoing, maintaining that the money was a personal gift and therefore did not have to be declared.

Farage subsequently left parliament and won re-election last month. However, he could lose his seat and be required to contest another election if an investigation determines that he breached parliamentary rules.

Despite having only eight members of parliament, Reform had led opinion polls in Britain for much of the past two years. Its position weakened after Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned and Andy Burnham became prime minister in July, a change that helped revive support for the governing Labour Party.

The latest fundraising figures provide a snapshot of the changing political landscape. Reform remains financially stronger than some of its established competitors, but its overall donations have fallen sharply from the levels recorded at the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026.

Labour raised £3.6 million in donations during the April-June quarter, excluding public funding, while the Conservative Party, which is the official opposition, collected £2.8 million.

Reform’s dependence on a small number of wealthy donors has also drawn greater attention as lawmakers consider tighter controls on political financing. The £4 million contribution from Delo alone accounted for three-quarters of the party’s donations in the latest quarter, while the absence of funding from Harborne marks a notable change from previous periods.

The developments come as Britain’s political parties prepare for the next general election and debate continues over how political donations from wealthy individuals, particularly those living overseas, should be regulated.

At an exchange rate of $1 to £0.7404, Delo’s £4 million contribution is equivalent to approximately $5.4 million.