A record £9 million cryptocurrency donation puts Reform UK on top

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Yaroslav Dmytrenko

05.12.2025

A record £9 million cryptocurrency donation puts Reform UK on top — UK political crypto donation sparks calls for federal ban

A record cryptocurrency donation of £9 million has propelled the Reform UK party to the top position for political fundraising in the third quarter, while also reigniting government discussions about banning crypto donations to political parties.

According to the Electoral Commission, the £9 million ($12 million) donation to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party was made by prominent British crypto investor and aviation businessman Christopher Harborne, who resides in Thailand.

The donation surpasses the previous record of £8 million set in 2019 by supermarket heir Lord David Sainsbury in support of the Liberal Democrats and is now the largest single political donation ever made by a living person to a UK political party.

The only comparable sum was from another member of the Sainsbury dynasty — Lord John Sainsbury, who left £10 million to the Conservatives in his will in 2022.

The owner of aviation companies AML Global and Sherriff Group, Christopher Harborne is no stranger to large political donations. In the past, he made substantial contributions to the Conservative Party when it was led by future Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and also supported Farage’s Brexit Party — which later became Reform UK — in 2019 and 2020.

Harborne’s contribution enabled Reform UK to raise a total of £10.2 million, more than double the amount raised by the Conservatives (£4.6 million). The Labour Party raised £2.1 million, while the Liberal Democrats raised £1 million.

With local elections expected in the UK next spring, this major financial boost will help the party significantly expand its campaign efforts across less urban areas. However, Harborne’s record-breaking contribution has also intensified government discussions about banning political donations made in cryptocurrency.

In May, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage announced that the party would begin accepting donations in Bitcoin, becoming the first political party in the UK to do so.

Later, the party launched a special digital donations portal and confirmed that it had already received a small number of crypto donations — the first documented case of cryptocurrency being used for political donations in British political history.

Anonymity and foreign influence in politics

However, concerns over foreign influence are pushing the UK to reconsider cryptocurrency-based political financing. This issue is now under close scrutiny by policymakers.

The UK government says it is examining the possibility of a complete ban on crypto donations to political parties. Although no official proposal has yet been confirmed, officials say discussions are underway in Whitehall due to growing concerns over transparency and the risk of foreign interference in British politics.

Security experts warn that although blockchain data is publicly accessible, the true origin of funds can still be concealed through layered wallets, intermediaries, and offshore structures.

The debate gained renewed urgency after former Reform Wales leader Nathan Gill was convicted and sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for receiving payments to promote pro-Russian narratives while serving as a Member of the European Parliament.

As we wrote, Changpeng Zhao to donate 500 BNB each to Myanmar and Thailand

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