The leader of the Reform UK political party, Nigel Farage, announced that the group is accepting Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency contributions from eligible donors.
Speaking at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas on May 29, Farage said the party had begun accepting crypto donations. A blog post from crypto payments provider Radom said Reform would use the platform to facilitate donations, making it the first major group to do so amid the Conservative and Labour parties, who hold most of the seats in the UK’s House of Commons.
“[A]s of now, we are the first political party in Britain who can accept donations in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies,” said Farage. “We’re way behind you in America, but as of now, people with Bitcoin can give us money provided they’re eligible.”
Farage appeared at the Bitcoin conference, discussing his experiences with being debanked in the UK in 2023 and Reform’s plans to introduce a “Cryptoassets and Digital Finance Bill” if the party wins control of government in the next general election in the UK, expected before August 2029. Reform UK controls five seats in the House of Commons after the July 2024 election — a significant gap between the 403 seats controlled by Labour and 120 seats by the Conservatives.
Plans for a UK Bitcoin reserve
Among Farage’s other proposed policies at the event were establishing a Bitcoin (BTC) reserve at the Bank of England and opposing any plans to introduce a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the UK. The Reform leader also signaled support for US President Donald Trump’s crypto policies, appearing at the same conference as two of his sons and many supporters.
“Seven million people in Britain have got crypto assets, one in four people under 30 have got crypto assets,” said Farage.
Related: UK FCA requests public comments on stablecoin, crypto custody regulation
In May, the UK’s Labour government proposed rules positioning the country as a “safe harbor” for innovation like crypto assets. The proposed framework would have regulators treat crypto exchanges, dealers, and agents similarly to traditional financial firms in the UK.
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