Stephen Newnham, who leads Superteam UK, the British chapter of Solana's talent network, has declared he will stand as the MP for Clacton, Essex, joining a declared field that includes a fox, a fish finger, a bin and Nigel Farage.
Solana Community Lead Pledges Onchain Pensions in UK By-Election
14 July 2026 - 10:00 CEST
By Isabelle Castro
The vote, set for 13 Aug, was triggered by Farage's resignation over an undeclared £5mn gift that is under formal investigation. The major Westminster parties have refused to field candidates.
'UKmaxxing' pitch to Clacton
Newnham, known in the Solana community as 'Cap', announced his intention to stand on 9 Jul and spent the following days in the seaside town rallying support for his nomination. Prospective candidates can formally submit nominations between 14 and 17 Jul, with the official list published once the window closes.
While little is known about Newnham's policies, he has been a prominent online advocate for British innovation under the banner 'UKmaxxing'. Superteam UK recently set up an initiative to investigate the 'brain drain' of technical talent out of the country.
Pledge to move pensions onchain
Superteam is Solana's global talent community that provides grants, resources and support for founders building on the blockchain across more than a dozen national chapters. The UK chapter, which Newnham leads, was established in 2023.
In a post on X, Newnham said he would bring the 'UKmaxxing' agenda to Clacton, with a plan to turn the town into "an older generation tech hub" that incentivizes working-age residents to stay within the constituency. He added that he plans to host AI literacy workshops for residents and to "fight to bring their pensions onchain".
Newnham is one of 11 candidates in the provisional field, which features Nigel Farage, Count Binface, Reclaim's Laurence Fox and Mr Fishfinger, born Paul Ellis, who campaigns dressed as the frozen food item.
Despite the satirical field, the Clacton result is being closely watched because of Farage's involvement. Newnham's bid puts a figure from the crypto industry into the contest at a critical time for UK competitiveness in digital asset infrastructure.
