Tether's main investors donated over £12 million to the Reform Party in the UK, supporting crypto-friendly policies

According to the latest documents disclosed by the UK Electoral Commission, Thames-based investor Christopher Harborne has provided further donation support to the Reform Party. Harborne is estimated to hold about 12% of the shares in Tether, the world's largest stablecoin issuer. The disclosed documents show that following a £9 million donation made public last year, Harborne donated an additional £3 million in November.

Under the leadership of Nigel Farage, the Reform Party has made digital assets a core part of its economic agenda, promising to make the UK a "primary hub" for digital assets and proposing to reduce the capital gains tax on cryptocurrencies from the current rate of about 18% to 10%. The Reform Party became the first UK political party to accept donations in digital assets in 2025, allowing supporters to donate using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. This move has raised concerns among some MPs; in January, the chairs of seven parliamentary committees urged the government to ban political donations in cryptocurrencies, arguing that digital assets could obscure the source of funds and pose a risk of foreign interference in the electoral system.