Court Denies Lawsuit for Lost Bitcoin Worth $770M

user avatar

by Giorgi Kostiuk

2 years ago

A UK court ruled against James Howells, who sought to retrieve a hard drive with 8,000 Bitcoin discarded in a Newport landfill.

James Howells' Case

James Howells, a Welsh IT engineer, lost a hard drive in 2013 when it was accidentally thrown away by his partner. The Bitcoin, mined in 2009, had increased significantly in value. Howells' attempts to reclaim the drive through the courts failed due to high costs and environmental risks.

Proposal to Newport City Council

Howells repeatedly proposed to the Newport City Council to excavate the landfill, offering to bear the costs and share 25% of the Bitcoin. However, the council rejected his proposals citing financial and environmental concerns.

Historical Examples of Bitcoin Loss

This case is reminiscent of Bitcoin Pizza Day. In 2012, programmer Laszlo Hanyecz made the first real-world Bitcoin transaction by purchasing two pizzas for 10,000 BTC, which was worth $41 then. Today, that amount would be worth over $700 million.

The court's decision marks the end of Howells' efforts to reclaim his cryptocurrency, highlighting the risks associated with digital asset storage.

Tier I

Sector: #18291

Sealed Hiding Place Room

Resource Cache

Resource Cache

Tier I

Requires 25% Tier Progress to Claim
Meme Cache

Meme Cache

Tier I

Requires 50% Tier Progress to Claim
Equipment Cache

Equipment Cache

Tier I

Requires 75% Tier Progress to Claim

After collecting, hiding places will be stored in your inventory and can be opened with Keys.

Other news

Wall Street Banks Bullish on SPCX Stock

Two major Wall Street banks, Mizuho and Morgan Stanley, have expressed a bullish outlook on SpaceX stock (SPCX), with price targets of $200 and $300 respectively.

user avatarMaya Lundqvist

Elon Musk Optimistic About SpaceX AI Developments

Elon Musk expresses optimism about SpaceX's AI developments, expecting significant advancements in the coming months.

user avatarKaterina Papadopoulou

MEXC Introduces MEXC CLI for Enhanced AI Trading Experience

MEXC introduces MEXC CLI, a command-line tool that allows users to connect their AI agents directly to the trading platform for seamless trading execution.

user avatarLeo van der Veen

XRP Reaches New All-Time High After SEC Settlement

XRP has surged to a new all-time high of 365 in July 2025 following a settlement in the SEC vs Ripple lawsuit.

user avatarAisha Farooq

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway to Earn $848 Million from Coca-Cola Dividends

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is set to earn $848 million in dividends from Coca-Cola due to its long-term investment since 1994.

user avatarTenzin Dorje

Coca-Cola to Pay Quarterly Dividends on October 1, 2026

Coca-Cola announces a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share to investors before the ex-dividend date of September 15, 2026, payable on October 1, 2026.

user avatarLi Weicheng

Important disclaimer: The information presented on the Dapp.Expert portal is intended solely for informational purposes and does not constitute an investment recommendation or a guide to action in the field of cryptocurrencies. The Dapp.Expert team is not responsible for any potential losses or missed profits associated with the use of materials published on the site. Before making investment decisions in cryptocurrencies, we recommend consulting a qualified financial advisor.