‘He’s one of the few politicians who likes crypto’: my day with the UK tech bros hosting Nigel Farage
It is a grey morning in Shadwell, east London.But inside the old shell of Tobacco Dock, the gloom gives way to pulsating neon lights, flashy cars and cryptocurrency chatter.Evangelists for Web3, a vision for the next era of the internet, have descended on the old trading dock to network for two days.For many, the main event is one man: Nigel Farage.“Whether you like me or don’t like me is irrelevant, I’m actually a champion for this space,” the leader of Reform UK tells the audience of largely male crypto fanatics at the Zebu Live conference.
“Either I’m here to support your community, or your community is here to support me.But either way, this is a trade that works for both of us.”It is a transactional relationship that Farage is trying to nurture, aping Donald Trump’s playbook in the hope that it could grow into a funding base for his next election campaign.This year Reform became the first main party in the UK to accept donations through bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.Farage is now hitting the circuit, attenders at the conference say.
A week ago he appeared at the Digital Assets Summit, about a mile away at Old Billingsgate,“I want to bring digital assets and crypto in from the cold in London,” he told the Zebu event,“I realised after being debanked, [cryptocurrency] is the ultimate freedom: being in control securely of your own money, making your own decisions, free from authoritarian government,Crypto is the ultimate freedom of the 21st century and debanking absolutely taught me that for life,”It is an idea that strikes a chord with the libertarian streak among crypto fans, who value the digital currencies for their anonymity and independence from traditional finance.
Many of them became even more anti-establishment following Farage’s dispute with NatWest after the bank closed his accounts – and they are cheering the Reform leader on, tweeting selfies as he speaks.It helps that Farage’s hustler shtick is tailor-made for crypto: he insists he would have been a crypto trader in the 1980s, and says he likes to dabble.His message also seems to chime with many young entrepreneurs in the audience, who advocate an anonymised internet that permeates every aspect of life while allowing them to get rich quick.The flashier the better, it seems: at the entrance to the conference a black Rolls-Royce Wraith convertible advertises CryptoAutos, a platform that allows people to buy or rent cars with cryptocurrency.Day 2 @Zebu_live 🎯 @CryptoAutos $AUTOS pic.
twitter.com/1MAJ6Nny0aThe conference is decked out with new tech, freebies and toys.In one corner, Sam Altman’s startup Worldcoin displays its silver orbs, inviting passersby to have their eyeballs scanned as part of a project to use biometric verification to distinguish humans from AI systems.It starts off deceptively quietly.A panel on how to manage crypto taxation, “HMRC and the Ledger of Secrets”, attracts no more than 40 people in a room that could easily seat 200.
It is only in the afternoon, when Farage’s keynote speech nears, that the event begins to liven up.“I don’t like him,” says one attender.“But if he can make people’s daily lives in this industry easier then people will want to listen to what he has to say … even if they may not agree with his politics.”Farage is the only major political leader in the UK who has made his stance on cryptocurrency clear – and, in a move that would probably win over much of this crowd in east London, has said he would introduce a bill to cut capital gains tax on crypto assets from 24% to 10%.Keir Starmer’s government has said it wants the UK to become a leader in the tokenisation of securities, though the prime minister himself has not been vocal on the topic.
Nor has Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservatives.For Farage, this small but well-funded group of crypto fans could be ripe for the taking.But there are grumblings of discontent about his cosying up to the sector.Simon Jones, an investor in the open finance startup Baanx, pulled out of the event after Farage’s attendance was announced, saying the conference had turned into a “political festival”.“I don’t think he should have been invited,” Jones said.
“He’s just there on a campaign platform, even though it is an industry event and there is no real scrutiny of him.“He is taking out of Donald Trump’s playbook and enacting it here.Trump went pro in this sector and raised a lot of money.”The US president has raised millions in political donations from cryptocurrency billionaires alongside other big tech companies, and his family’s crypto ventures have soared in value, boosting the Trumps’ fortunes.But in the UK, crypto donations are falling under more scrutiny amid worries they could obscure the sources of party funding and open the door to hostile foreign actors.
Liam Byrne, the Labour MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill and chair of the business and trade parliamentary committee, has argued that crypto donations could corrupt British politics.Meanwhile at the Centre for Finance and Security (CFS) and the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi), academics have launched a study on the possible democratic, security and transparency risk posed by these donations.But as the conference crowd spills into the nightclub on the other side of the road for the after-party, many seem unfazed that they could hold the key to Farage’s route to power.“Nigel Farage is one of the only politicians that likes crypto,” says one conference-goer.“It’s smart for him to be here.
If crypto people like him, then there’s a lot he can get,”
World Series 2025 Game 1: Los Angeles Dodgers 4-11 Toronto Blue Jays – as it happened
Well, the strategy coming in was get the starter out as soon as possible and bash the bullpen. Well, Snell lasted into the sixth before the runs rolled in for Toronto as 12 men came to the plate and they hit both the starter and the relievers. The Jays looked every bit as formidable as they did v the Yankees and Mariners. The key? Limiting the big inning. The Dodgers had chances to put up cooked numbers early, but left with a pair of single runs – not nearly enough against a Jays team that can break out at any time
Tommy Freeman grabs four tries as Saints overwhelm Saracens in high-scoring thriller
A classic had seemed to be on the cards and the players emphatically delivered. A pulsating encounter at the top of the Prem table ended with Northampton ultimately pulling Saracens apart after blowing an early 17-0 lead.Noah Caluori had dominated the buildup after his five tries against Sale, but Tommy Freeman of England restated his class with a phenomenal four tries, while Fin Smith orchestrated a vintage attacking performance. Phil Dowson’s Northampton look well equipped for another title.“Tommy does so many things so well,” Dowson said of Freeman, who may soon feature at outside-centre for England
NBA gambling scandal shines harsh light on US sports’ embrace of betting
The NBA gambling scandal is the biggest story of the year in US sports, a culmination of the years-long embrace between professional leagues and the multibillion-dollar gambling industry that has now crossed the line from synergy into scandal.In two sweeping federal indictments unsealed in Brooklyn on Thursday, prosecutors charged more than 30 people – including the Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and former NBA player and assistant Damon Jones – with schemes that turned inside information and rigged card games into engines of profit for organized crime.Federal officials dubbed the twin takedowns Operation Nothing But Bet and Operation Royal Flush, likening the sprawl of defendants and their aliases to something out of a Scorsese film.It’s the most significant corruption crisis to hit a major American league since betting was legalized in most US states, and the most revealing picture yet of how deeply gambling has fused itself into the bloodstream of professional sports.The filings describe a network of insiders, bookies and mafia affiliates who allegedly used private player data to wager on prop bets – wagers on specific occurrences within a game, such as how many assists a player records or whether they’ll make their first three-point attempt – and ran high-stakes poker games wired with cheating technology
NFL hands down $315k in fines over Giants’ concussion protocol violations
The New York Giants, head coach Brian Daboll and running back Cam Skattebo have been fined for violating the NFL’s concussion protocol during an evaluation of rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart in the team’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, the league and NFL Players Association announced Friday.The Giants were hit with a $200,000 fine for breaching the protocol, while Daboll was fined $100,000 and Skattebo $15,000 for conduct detrimental to the league.The incident occurred during the 9 October matchup at MetLife Stadium after Dart was sacked midway through the third quarter and remained on the turf, clutching his helmet. Following standard procedure, he was escorted to the blue sideline medical tent for a concussion evaluation by team physicians and an independent neurotrauma consultant.According to the league’s review, Daboll approached the tent during the evaluation and briefly stuck his head inside
Parker and Wardley ready for ‘all or nothing’ rumble with shot at Usyk on the line
Boxing is in a real slump this year, with few major fights and far less compelling bouts than usual, and so the prospect of a serious and intriguing heavyweight contest between Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley at the O2 Arena brings a measure of relief to the beleaguered business. The winner will almost certainly face Oleksandr Usyk, the world champion, next year. In contrast, the loser is likely to lament the inevitable erosion of the hard-won plaudits he had gained.Danger and risk surround this clash. Parker is on a hot streak since his last defeat, to Joe Joyce, three years ago
Hamilton issues warning to McLaren as Verstappen roars into F1 title fight
Cut-throat Red Bull driver will relish McLaren duo chase in Mexico City where he has won five of the last seven racesEnjoying a late surge out of the final bend, Max Verstappen is looming large in the mirrors of his championship rivals. The Dutchman is a threat beyond his formidable pace. An ominous, unsettling presence whose singular determination carries a weight of its own and at this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix he will be hoping to put the hammer down once more.Having all but written off his chances by mid-season, Verstappen and Red Bull have orchestrated a striking comeback. In closing down a 104-point gap to the championship leader, Oscar Piastri, to just 40 in the space of four races, the defending champion has left Piastri and his McLaren teammate, Lando Norris, as prey in his paws
The Guide #214: Sleep-inducing songs and tranquilising TV – the culture that sends us to sleep (in a good way)
Seth Meyers on Trump’s White House ballroom: ‘This couldn’t be any more of a bait and switch’
Seth Meyers on Trump’s White House demolition: ‘This is insane’
Toe-curling fashion: how did toe shoes become so popular?
Stephen Colbert on Trump’s White House East Wing demolition: ‘So deeply unsettling’
Jon Stewart on Donald Trump: ‘He’s the imitation crab of kings right now’