Reform Party bags huge crypto donation to pull ahead of Labour and Conservatives

Nigel Farage has bagged another crypto win.

The leader of the UK Reform Party pulled ahead of both Labour and the Conservative Party in terms of donations, thanks to a £3 million contribution from Christopher Harborne, a crypto investor and an aviation entrepreneur, according to Electoral Commission data.

The November donation marks Harborne’s second donation to the far-right party. He donated £9 million to the Reform Party in August.

The latest crypto donation brought the Reform Party’s donations to £5.5 million in the fourth quarter, ahead of the Conservative Party and the Labour Party, which received £2.3 million and £1.7 million during the same period, the Financial Times reported

The Reform Party did not immediately return a request for comment.

The donations came after the Reform Party became the first British political party to accept donations in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in May. It is the only party that accepts crypto donations.

Since then, several members of parliament have called for a ban on crypto donations, arguing that they raise the risk of foreign interference.

Concern over foreign interference in UK politics has grown, not least with the conviction of Nathan Gill, the former Reform UK leader in Wales, who was jailed for more than 10 years after admitting to taking bribes for pro-Russia interviews and speeches.

Bring crypto ‘in from the cold’

The latest donation also highlights how Farage’s ambitions to replicate US President Donald Trump’s successful strategy of aligning himself with the crypto industry’s interests.

Farage, a member of parliament, has spoken at international Bitcoin conferences and made pro-crypto overtures for years. In 2025, he ramped up his pro-crypto campaign.

He said he would make the UK the crypto capital of the world “when I’m in Number 10,” referring to Number 10 Downing Street, the prime minister’s residence.

“I want to bring in digital assets and crypto from the cold in London, to have that regulatory framework under which everybody can operate,” Farage said at the Zebu Live conference in London in October.

Last year, Farage not only signed off on the party accepting crypto donations, but also fired off a barrage of pro-industry volleys.

That included attacking the Bank of England for its proposed cap on stablecoin ownership, championing a pro-industry bill, urging the central bank to create a Bitcoin reserve, and pledging to turn the UK into a crypto powerhouse.

Eric Johansson is DL News’ managing editor. Got a tip? Email him at eric@dlnews.com.