😱 How to Lose $770 Million in a Landfill: The History of the Bitcoin Disk
Think storing cryptocurrencies is easy? Think again!
James Howells, a UK engineer, has lost access to his $8,000 BTC fortune.
Why? A simple hard drive thrown in a landfill in 2013.
🗑 How Did This Happen?
In 2009, James mined his BTC when it was worth just a few cents. When he accidentally threw the disk in the trash, each bitcoin was worth just $13. At the time, this didn’t seem like a catastrophe. But now…
Today, those bitcoins are worth $770 million, and James has spent 12 years fighting for the chance to excavate the landfill and recover his lost riches.
🧑⚖️ Why Did the Court Dismiss the Case?
In 2024, Howells once again went to court to gain access to the landfill. But a district judge in Wales ruled that the case had “no realistic chance of success”.
Newport council refused to allow James to enter the site, citing environmental regulations.
Neither the proposal to share possible recovered funds nor the promise to follow all security measures worked.
🤔 What Now?
While James was prevented from fully pursuing the lawsuit, the court did not dispute his ownership of the bitcoins. This opens up the possibility of monetizing his asset — potentially through tokenization or other innovative approaches.
What do you think: can he still get his $BTC back? Leave your reaction:
Crypto Vt 💸
