On March 3, according to Cointelegraph, a co-founder of a major centralized exchange (CEX), Ben Delo, pledged to donate approximately $27 million to the London Institute of Mathematical Sciences (LIMS), making it one of the largest private donation recipients outside of Oxford and Cambridge in the UK. This funding includes a $13.3 million advance payment and an equal amount raised through additional fundraising to establish a long-term endowment fund totaling $80 million, supporting research in theoretical physics, pure mathematics, and artificial intelligence.
Ben Delo stated that he hopes the institute’s scholars will win Fields Medals and Nobel Prizes. He emphasized that choosing LIMS over large universities allows researchers to focus on scientific research without the burden of teaching and administrative duties. He also criticized the UK’s research funding system for lacking vitality and coherence. Delo has previously funded the Ben Delo Scholarship and supports charitable causes such as neurodiversity, academic freedom, and mathematics education.
Reports indicate that Delo paid a $10 million fine before receiving a pardon from Donald Trump, after admitting responsibility along with co-founders for violating U.S. banking laws. In March 2025, President Trump granted him a pardon, allowing him to continue participating in scientific research and philanthropy.
LIMS was founded in 2011 by physicist Thomas Fink and is located within the Royal Institution of the UK. Its offices were once the residence of chemist Michael Faraday. The institute offers three-year scholarships for scientists and funds exiled researchers, attracting scientists worldwide.
Meanwhile, UK lawmakers are calling for a temporary ban on political donations via cryptocurrencies, warning that such payments could lead to foreign interference. Previously, Reform UK received a record-breaking $12 million in political donations from early cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne. Industry experts believe that as crypto assets continue to enter academic and political spheres, regulation and compliance issues will become key concerns.
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