Reform UK is reportedly planning to sideline crypto companies at its conference next week, reducing their access to senior party figures. This move follows backlash concerning a £5m gift to Nigel Farage from a bitcoin billionaire.
An agenda for the upcoming annual conference indicates that the digital currency and tokenisation industries, which were previously a mainstay, are not represented among corporate partners or in dozens of satellite events. The party is reportedly seeking to engage with more conventional corporate players.
Sources involved in this year's summit suggest that perks previously offered to crypto executives, including free tickets and access to senior Reform figures, have been removed. This marks a shift from last year's gathering, where a crypto payments firm was a flagship sponsor and industry priorities were discussed on stage.
Reform UK's previous economic pitch to voters included expediting digital asset adoption, and as recently as October, the party published a 'Cryptoassets and Digital Finance Bill'. Measures in this package included a reduced 10 per cent capital gains tax rate for digital assets and plans for a sovereign bitcoin reserve. However, the bill is no longer available on the party's website.
The decision to dial down digital assets and crypto at the Birmingham conference comes amid scrutiny over the party's ties with crypto-linked donors. A Reform UK spokesman stated that the surge in sponsorships and record industry turnout at this year's conference demonstrates increased engagement from companies taking the prospect of a Reform government seriously.