BitMEX Co-Founder: Has Donated $5.4 Million to Reform UK

According to Decrypt, Ben Delo, co-founder of BitMEX, revealed that he donated $5.4 million (approximately £4 million) to Reform UK, the political party led by Nigel Farage—prior to the UK’s introduction of a new £100,000 cap on donations from overseas residents. Delo pleaded guilty in the U.S. in 2022 to BitMEX’s violations of anti-money laundering compliance requirements and paid a $10 million fine; he was later pardoned by Donald Trump. Reform UK has previously received a £11.4 million donation from Christopher Harborne, a Thai national and investor in Tether. The party positions itself as the UK’s most crypto-friendly political party, though the UK government has imposed a suspension on cryptocurrency donations to political parties. Delo stated he plans to relocate to the UK, after which he would no longer be subject to the donation cap.