BitMEX Co-Founder Ben Delo Gives Reform UK £4 Million More

Reform UK has received an additional £4 million in donations, as BitMEX Co-Founder Ben Delo gives a total of £8 million to the party this year. These payments were disclosed in records released by the Electoral Commission on Thursday.

The latest donations consisted of two cash transfers: £1 million on April 17 and £3 million on April 30, both formally accepted the following day. These contributions represent 75% of the £5.33 million Reform UK received in donations, making them the largest individual contributions to any British political party during that quarter.

Since March, UK electoral regulations require donors to be on the electoral register for 12 months to contribute more than £100,000 annually. A Reform party source expressed confidence that the £4 million from Ben Delo would not need to be returned, indicating his registration period met the necessary criteria.

None of Delo's donations were made in cryptocurrency, as Britain implemented a ban on crypto political donations in March. Reform UK was previously the only major party to accept such donations, but neither Delo's nor Christopher Harborne's contributions have utilized this form of payment.

Delo previously pleaded guilty in 2022 to violating the Bank Secrecy Act due to anti-money laundering deficiencies at BitMEX. He was subsequently pardoned by then-U.S. President Donald Trump in 2025, along with fellow co-founders Arthur Hayes and Samuel Reed.

In an April article, Delo characterized the case as a “regulatory failing that isn’t even a crime in the UK.” BitMEX itself is scheduled to cease operations on September 23, following a strategic review by its owner, HDR Global Trading.