Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has spent decades railing against big money in American politics. On Sunday, he made clear he thinks the problem has jumped the pond.
Sanders took to X to argue that oligarchy is no longer a strictly American export. His evidence: the U.K. Reform Party, led by Nigel Farage, pulled in $97 million in donations from cryptocurrency billionaires.
“The billionaires are not just buying American politicians; they are funding right-wing parties all over the world — including the UK Reform Party,” the independent lawmaker wrote. “The ultra-rich must not be allowed to buy governments ANYWHERE.”
He was citing a Wall Street Journal report that two crypto billionaires, Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne, made the largest political donations in British history to Farage's party.
Both men said they donated roughly $48.7 billion to help the party ahead of the 2029 general elections.
Who Are These Guys, Anyway?
Harborne is a billionaire investor best known for his early stakes in Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH), according to a report by The Guardian.
Delo is the co-founder and former executive of the cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX. He, along with fellow co-founders Arthur Hayes and Samuel Reed, was accused of operating BitMEX as a "money laundering platform" and creating a "sham" withdrawal from the U.S. market.
The three pleaded guilty in 2022 to violating the Bank Secrecy Act for failing to establish anti-money laundering violations. President Donald Trump pardoned the three co-founders in March 2025.
Meanwhile, Farage himself is facing an investigation over a private $6.65 million gift he received from Harborne in early 2024. Farage, known for his close ties with President Donald Trump and his frequent praise for him, denies any wrongdoing.
The Crypto Money Keeps Flowing
Sanders has been an outspoken critic of big money in politics, describing it as "legalized bribery." He holds an unequivocal belief that the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling must be overturned and that elections should transition to public funding without delay.
The cryptocurrency industry, which emerged as a dominant lobbying force in the 2024 elections, has also mobilized for this year's cycle. Fairshake, a cryptocurrency-focused super PAC, has contributed $88 million as of July 31.
So the next time someone tells you crypto is just about decentralized finance and freedom from banks, remember: it's also about writing very large checks to politicians. One person, one vote — unless one person has a few billion dollars to spare.
