Crypto Billionaires Pump £72M into Reform UK Amid Funding Probe

Two of Britain's crypto billionaires have made record donations to Reform UK in recent days. Ben Delo, co-founder of BitMEX, gave £36 million on Friday, more than four times his previous donation this year. This breaks the record for a single donation in British politics and is equivalent to £1 million per month until 2029. He paid the full amount upfront due to concerns about potential government caps on large donations.

Just one day later, Christopher Harborne matched Delo's contribution with another £36 million, citing his 'competitive spirit' as motivation. Harborne is a Tether investor and has given Reform £15 million since the last election. The total of £72 million exceeds what all UK parties took in donations last year.

Reform plans to use these funds to hire 400 campaign managers, one for each target seat. This move puts the party 'on election footing,' according to a spokesperson. However, this comes amidst an ongoing investigation into Reform's funding, specifically allegations of foreign money being funnelled into the party.