Farage's Cameo Videos Promoted Cryptocurrencies That Later Lost Value
Cameo videos produced by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage have been used to generate interest in obscure memecoins, cryptocurrencies whose value is largely driven by social media hype and celebrity endorsements.
Newly uncovered videos reveal Farage's support for a rioter, neo-Nazi events, and far-right slogans, raising further questions about his use of the platform. discovered these videos among more than 4,000 clips Farage has created on Cameo, a platform where public figures sell personalised recorded messages to the public.
Farage's use of Cameo has faced intense scrutiny after it was revealed he recorded videos supporting a rioter, repeated extremist slogans, and endorsed a neo-Nazi event. Among the videos, he promoted memecoins with names such as "Stonks Finance," "NIG Finance," "Trump Mania," and "Farage coin."
Memecoins are cryptocurrencies whose value depends heavily on social media hype and celebrity backing. When the hype dissipates, investments can become worthless. Farage has endorsed such cryptocurrencies in exchange for as little as £72 from Cameo users who pay him to support their products.
Farage's Ideological Support for Cryptocurrencies
Farage's advocacy for cryptocurrencies is partly ideological. He has cited his experience of being "debanked" by Coutts, a private bank owned by NatWest Group, as a catalyst for his crypto advocacy, viewing cryptocurrencies as "free from authoritarian government." He has described bitcoin as "the ultimate freedom, the ultimate liberty."
However, the cryptocurrencies Farage has promoted on Cameo are mostly obscure compared to bitcoin. Their backers appear to have used Farage's Cameo videos as effective advertisements for their tokens.
For example, on X (formerly Twitter), the account behind Stonks Finance posted Farage's Cameo clip, which cost £73, alongside a message stating:
"$STONKS Finance airdrop. Tomorrow, 2,000 of you will get 150 STONKS each. Are you ready to 🚀🚀🚀with Solana x Mirror? We think @Nigel_Farage knows what’s up 👀."
The X account promoting the Trump Mania token superimposed Farage’s £97 Cameo clip in front of an American flag and a cartoon of the US president, captioned:
"continues with a special vote of confidence from @Nigel_Farage."
Farage charged £133 for a supportive message to the makers of Celsius Network’s CEL token, encouraging them to "fight" for the product and stating:
"if the technology is good enough, it will survive."
Celsius Network has since declared bankruptcy. Its founder and former CEO, Alex Mashinsky, was charged with securities fraud and commodities fraud. Prosecutors allege he artificially inflated the value of the CEL token.
Farage's Response and Cryptocurrency Sales
Farage’s spokesperson stated that he used the Cameo platform "in good faith and without knowledge of the individuals involved beyond what is written for him in the prompt. If individuals or groups subsequently choose to misuse or repurpose a Cameo recording, that is clearly outside Mr Farage’s knowledge or control."
Farage’s cryptocurrency-related videos, sold for a combined £1,087, also mention some more mainstream cryptocurrencies. In a May 2021 video, he said:
"Keep the faith. Hold the line. XRP to the moon."XRP was among the assets Donald Trump indicated in March he would include in a new US digital asset stockpile. Farage also produced a video stating:
"I am told you must invest in Dogecoin,"a memecoin favored by Elon Musk.
A month later, Farage urged viewers to sell Dogecoin and invest instead in Gabecoin, another dog-themed memecoin.
Cryptocurrency Value Declines and Farage's Commentary
analysed historical price data for six cryptocurrencies referenced by Farage with available data. All have declined in value since he made Cameo clips about them.
In a £78 pep talk recorded for the "Farage Crypto Community" in June 2024, Farage appeared philosophical about price fluctuations:
"I know so many of you out there are interested in memecoins. Look, you know, some of these coins do well, some don’t. But here’s the point. This is something that matters. You know, Brexit means Brexit, but crypto means freedom from government control. Take it from somebody who was debanked. Crypto’s got a huge future."
Farage's Political and Financial Ties to Cryptocurrency
Farage’s promotion of cryptocurrencies on Cameo reflects his close ties to the sector. Reform UK was the first party to accept cryptocurrency donations. Its largest donor, tech investor Reuben Farley, is a major shareholder in the cryptocurrency Tether.
Farage has stated that if he attains power, he will allow taxes to be paid in cryptocurrency, create a sovereign wealth fund holding digital assets, and reduce capital gains tax on crypto investments. Earlier in June 2024, he invested £215,000 in Stack BTC, a crypto business chaired by former Conservative chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng.
Farage’s endorsements of cryptocurrencies on Cameo are consistent with his willingness to promote other financial products, including Direct Bullion, for which he has been paid £415,500 since December 2024.
When asked by the Financial Times about the appropriateness of such commercial ventures for a prospective prime minister, Farage responded:
"Bollocks. Everybody [says]: ‘You can’t have a TV show,’ ‘You can’t do Direct Bullion,’ ‘You can’t do Cameo.’ I can do what I want … I skipped university to work in the commodity markets."
