BitMEX Co-Founder Ben Delo Reveals $5.4 Million Donation to Farage Reform in the UK

BitMEX co-founder Ben Delo revealed he had donated $5.4 million (£4 million) to Nigel Farage’s UK Reform Party, saying he was motivated to become politically active for the first time because of what he described as Britain’s failed political system.

Delo, headquartered in Hong Kong, books In a daily telegraph An editorial said he made the contribution earlier this year before a £100,000 cap was placed on donations from British citizens living abroad. He said the funding would help transform Islah into a “genuine alternative party to the government.”

In the article, Delo said the UK faced a “serious threat” driven by “self-deception” among political elites, and said reform was gaining support by acknowledging the scale of the country’s problems.

Delo co-founded BitMEX, one of the oldest derivatives exchanges in the cryptocurrency industry. In 2022, it is plead guilty In the United States for violating the Bank Secrecy Act after failing to implement adequate anti-money laundering controls, and paying a fine. Criminal fine of $10 million. He later received an A.B Presidential pardon From Donald Trump, describing the issue in his op-ed as “a regulatory failure that is not even a crime in the UK.”

His donation adds to significant support for reform from international donors, including £11.4 million from a Tether investor in Thailand. Christopher Harbourne.

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The funding comes as the Reform Party positions itself as the most crypto-aligned political party in the UK. She has accepted cryptocurrency donations, promoted pro-crypto policies and built relationships with industry figures, setting her apart from the more cautious approaches of Labor and the Conservatives.

This stance has placed Reform at the center of a broader debate about cryptocurrencies and political finance. Government ministers have moved to tighten rules on overseas donations A moratorium was imposed On cryptocurrency contributions after a Government commissioned review to foreign financial influence. The review recommended capping donations from diaspora and highlighted risks related to transparency and enforcement in cryptocurrency-based financing.

The reform has happened described These recommendations represent an attack on her party specifically and have been pushed back, arguing that existing rules could accommodate cryptocurrencies and that stricter restrictions risk hurting new parties. Critics, including transparency activists, He argues Cryptocurrency donations could create new channels for opaque or offshore-linked financing.

Reform leader Nigel Farage, who last month invested The Bitcoin treasury company has done just that Tens of thousands of dollars From speaking engagements at cryptocurrency conferences, Retweeted A Delo editorial states: “Keir Starmer’s scheming and dishonest will not stop us.”

“In fact, his actions have made brave people like Ben Delo even more determined to beat Labor in the next election,” he added.

Farage has also called for cryptocurrency-friendly policies, including reducing taxes on digital assets and creating a network National Bitcoin Reserve.

repair described Delo as a “true patriot.”

Delo said he intends to move to the UK, which will allow him to continue donating without restrictions. He said that this step reflects personal reasons and a desire to play a more direct role in the country’s future.