Second crypto billionaire donates record $49m to far-right Reform UK

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that a second British billionaire has given a record donation to Reform UK, the far-right party led by Nigel Farage. Christopher Harborne, a Thailand-based cryptocurrency investor, said in a Saturday post in the Daily Telegraph that he would contribute $48.7m (£36m), describing it as a gift to the country and saying he was inspired to match another large pledge made one day earlier.

The previous donation came from Ben Delo, 42, co-founder of the BitMEX cryptocurrency exchange. Together, the two contributions brought the amount pledged to Reform since Friday to about $97m. The donations arrive as the party faces scrutiny over its finances, including a criminal investigation by London’s Metropolitan Police into whether Reform accepted illegal foreign donations.

Farage welcomed the money in a post on X, saying the donors want nothing in return and backing his message that Reform would improve Britain. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticized the party, arguing that large donations do not equal sound judgment or integrity.

Al Jazeera notes that Reform, the successor to Farage’s Brexit Party, has become a significant force in UK politics amid voter frustration with the main parties. The article frames the donations as politically important because they could strengthen Reform’s campaign capacity while deepening debate over party financing and foreign influence.