$738 Million Bitcoin is Still Buried in Newport Landfill: Court Rules Against Recovery

James Howells has been dealt a crushing legal blow in his decade-long effort to recover 8,000 Bitcoins from a landfill in Newport, Wales. In 2013, Howells’ then-girlfriend mistakenly threw out his hard drive, thinking it was garbage during an office cleanup. At the time, the Bitcoins were worth little. Today, their value stands at $738 million.

Howells, backed by investors and legal experts, argued that a precise excavation of a small section of the landfill could recover the fortune. He even offered to share the profits with the Newport City Council. However, the council refused, citing environmental restrictions and legal ownership under UK waste laws.

This week, a High Court judge upheld the council’s position, ruling that Howells had no legal claim to the hard drive and no realistic chance of success. Despite the setback, Howells vows to continue fighting, even contemplating appeals to higher courts, as he believes his Bitcoin stash could one day be worth $1 billion.

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