Key Takeaways
- A judge dismissed James Howells' case to recover £600M in Bitcoin.
- Newport Council argued landfill laws prevent the hard drive's recovery.
- Howells mined 7,500 BTC in 2009 but lost access after it was discarded.
UK Judge Andrew John Keyser KC has dismissed James Howells’ lawsuit against Newport City Council, denying his efforts to recover a hard drive from a South Wales landfill that allegedly contains access to £600 million ($739 million) worth of Bitcoin.
Background of the case
Howells, an early Bitcoin miner, accidentally discarded the hard drive in 2013.
The device holds the private keys to a wallet containing 7,500 BTC mined in 2009. As Bitcoin’s value surged, Howells sought permission to excavate the landfill or secure £495 million ($609 million) in compensation from the council.
Legal arguments
During a December 2024 hearing, Newport City Council argued that the hard drive became its property once disposed of and cited environmental regulations prohibiting landfill excavation.
Judge Keyser KC concluded there were “no reasonable grounds” for the claim and no realistic chance of success if brought to trial.
Recovery attempts
Despite organizing a team of experts and narrowing the search area to 100,000 tonnes within a landfill holding 1.4 million tonnes of waste, Howells’ efforts were rejected.
Previously, he had offered a share of the Bitcoin to the council if the hard drive was recovered.
Future implications
Following the ruling, Howells speculated that the inaccessible Bitcoin, which he believes could exceed £1 billion ($1.2 billion) by 2026, will remain lost, benefitting the Bitcoin network as unspendable funds.
