Reform UK leader Nigel Farage says his party has started receiving donations in cryptocurrency — but insists it’s not a case of copying former U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign tactics.
Speaking at a cryptocurrency conference in London on Wednesday, Farage described himself as the “only hope” for Britain’s crypto industry, arguing that major political parties have ignored the sector’s potential.
“We’ve already had a couple of donations come in through crypto,” Farage told *Reuters*, without disclosing details about the amounts or sources. Asked whether any crypto businesses were behind the contributions, he replied, *“Not that I’m aware of,” adding that there “might have been some sponsorship at the conference.”
Farage’s comments come as politicians around the world court the digital asset community. In the United States, Trump has embraced the title of “crypto president” and made digital finance a key talking point in his campaign — a strategy that has turned the industry into a growing lobbying power in Washington.
Despite Reform UK holding only five of Parliament’s 650 seats, the party is currently leading national opinion polls, positioning Farage as a disruptive force in British politics ahead of the next general election, expected in 2029.
Farage, a longtime ally of Trump and a central figure in Britain’s Brexit movement, rejected suggestions that he is borrowing from Trump’s political playbook.
“No, no, I was way before Trump,” he said. “I came out publicly in support of crypto back in 2020 — he was much later to the party.”
Farage declined to comment directly on Trump’s campaign strategy but admitted that he dabbles personally in digital assets.
“I’ve got some long-term crypto investments,” he said, adding with a grin, “and sometimes, when the market looks fun, I have a little go.”
Earlier this year, Reform UK became the first British political party to accept Bitcoin donations, according to the BBC.
The UK government, meanwhile, has said it plans to coordinate closely with the United States on its regulatory approach to cryptocurrencies, signaling a more unified stance toward digital assets across the Atlantic. Photo by © House of Commons, Wikimedia commons.