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. 🤖💰
But the council #Newport immediately ruled: “No way, brother, the environment is more important!” 🌍🚯
And by January 2025, the court officially extinguished his last glimmer of hope. Even worse, this landfill is about to be covered and turned into a solar farm in 2025-2026. The BTC may not be recovered, but at least there will be electricity to… mine more new Bitcoin? 🔆⛏️😆
🔥 The last hope: Will quantum computers save the day?
Howells is just one of the “sad stories” in the crypto world, with an estimated 3 million Bitcoin (13% of total supply) permanently lost.
CEO #Tether , Paolo Ardoino, once believed that quantum computers could unlock lost Bitcoin wallets, helping BTC re-enter circulation – but it could also cause prices to crash due to a sudden increase in supply. Could this be the last ray of hope for those who lost BTC? Or just a new nightmare? ⏳😨
And James Howells… can someone sponsor him a bulldozer to "dig" for a new dream? 🚜💔 #anhbacong