A British computer engineer, James Howells, is exploring a bold new strategy to recover a lost Bitcoin hard drive worth nearly £600 million—buying the landfill where it was accidentally discarded.
Howells, who has been fighting for over a decade to retrieve the cryptocurrency, recently lost a High Court battle against Newport City Council, which has continuously denied him access to excavate the site. A judge ruled against his claim for £495 million in compensation, stating there was “no realistic prospect” of success.
Newport Landfill Closure Sparks New Opportunity
Newport City Council recently announced plans to close the landfill by 2025-26 and convert the site into a solar farm to power new electric bin lorries. This unexpected move has prompted Howells, 39, to consider purchasing the entire site to search for his missing Bitcoin wallet.
“The council planning on closing the landfill so soon is quite a surprise, especially since they argued in court that my excavation would cause a huge disruption for the people of Newport,” Howells told the BBC.
He added, “I would be potentially interested in purchasing the landfill site. I have discussed this option recently with investment partners, and it is very much on the table.”
The Bitcoin Treasure Hunt That Won’t Die
Howells first started mining Bitcoin in the late 2000s but inadvertently threw away his hard drive in 2013. At the time, the digital currency was worth a fraction of its current value. In 2024, Bitcoin surged by over 80%, reigniting Howells’ determination to recover the lost fortune.
Backed by an American hedge fund, he took legal action against Newport City Council, arguing that he had pinpointed the Bitcoin wallet’s location within a 100,000-tonne section of the landfill. However, the court ruled in favor of the council, which claimed that the hard drive had become its property once discarded.
Will Howells Finally Dig Up His £600M Bitcoin?
Despite the legal setbacks, Howells remains undeterred. His latest plan to buy the landfill outright could be his last chance to recover the lost cryptocurrency. Whether the council will entertain his offer remains uncertain, but as Bitcoin continues to surge in value, the stakes for Howells couldn’t be higher.
