Newport

💼 James Howells, an IT engineer from Newport, Wales, has suffered a legal setback in his ongoing effort to retrieve a hard drive containing Bitcoin worth over $770 million. The hard drive, which holds Bitcoin mined back in 2009, was mistakenly thrown away in a landfill—a costly mistake that has sparked a legal battle.
⚖️ In a recent court ruling, Judge Keyser, the Circuit Commercial Judge for Wales, dismissed Howells' legal case, stating that it had "no realistic prospect" of success if it continued to a full trial. This decision follows Howells’ multiple attempts since 2013 to gain permission from the Newport City Council to access the landfill.
💰 Howells has even offered a portion of the Bitcoin’s value to the council as an incentive for allowing the search. His case attracted further attention in 2024 as Bitcoin's value surged to $100,000, resulting in returns exceeding 130% for the year.
Despite the disappointment, Howells' battle with the Newport City Council has drawn widespread media attention and sparked discussions about the potential value locked in lost or inaccessible Bitcoin.
⛔ The legal proceedings have highlighted the challenges associated with lost crypto assets and the evolving intersection between digital assets and traditional legal frameworks.
🔍 As Howells seeks further commentary on the situation, his case remains a stark reminder of the risks and rewards of cryptocurrency in the modern world.
#BTC 💸 #Bitcoin 🛠 #CryptoLost ⚖️ #LegalBattle 💻 #Newport
$BTC

Someone once said: “Trash money is still money,” but for James Howells, trash is worth more than diamonds!
For more than 10 years, this IT guy from Wales has pursued his dream of mining gold from the landfill, after accidentally throwing away a hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoin in 2013 – a “throw” worth 768 million USD! 🫠
🏛️ The judge says NO, the city council shakes their heads
James has been continuously battling legally with the Newport city council, requesting to excavate the landfill to find his digital treasure. He even claims to have a fancy AI that can help locate the hard drive without costing a dime from the public budget. 🤖💰

#JamesHowells , a British computer engineer, lost 8,000 Bitcoins in a landfill in Newport, Wales, 11 years ago. This amount of BTC is currently worth about 780 million USD, and he has spent over a decade trying to find a way to dig up the buried hard drive.
Failed "Gold Digging" Plan
Howells has repeatedly sought permission from the Newport city authorities to search for the hard drive, but has been denied each time. The reason given is that excavating the landfill could pose environmental risks and disrupt city operations.