Share this article
U.K. Man Wants to Buy Landfill Site in Search for Lost $784M of Bitcoin: Report
He tried to sue the local council for not responding to his requests to search the site, but the case was dismissed by a judge in January.
Updated Feb 10, 2025, 3:08 p.m. Published Feb 10, 2025, 3:07 p.m.
What to know:
- A man who says a hard drive containing bitcoin now worth $784 million was mistakenly thrown away in 2013 wants to buy the landfill site so he can search for it.
- James Howells said his ex-girlfriend discarded the drive containing 8,000 bitcoin in the site, and has been trying to get access from the local council.
A man who says he lost $784 million worth of bitcoin (BTC) in a landfill site is talking to investors about potentially buying the land, the BBC reported on Monday.
"I have discussed this option recently with investment partners and it is very much on the table," James Howells said, according the BBC.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
Howells said his ex-girlfriend mistakenly threw out a hard drive containing 8,000 bitcoin in the landfill site on Newport's Docks Way in 2013. Over the last decade he has made requests to Newport Council to try to retrieve it, and said he was largely ignored. Newport Council declined to comment, the BBC said.
He tried to sue the council for 495 million pounds ($646 million), the peak valuation of the bitcoin in early 2024, but his case was dismissed by the judge in January. The authority plans to close the site in the coming financial year and has permission to build a solar power farm on the land.
More For You
What to know:
- As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
- GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
- Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.
More For You
Turkey's Paribu Buys CoinMENA in $240M Deal, Expanding Into High-Growth Crypto Markets
With the acquisition, Paribu gains regulatory foothold in Bahrain and Dubai and access to the region's fast-growing crypto user base.
What to know:
- Paribu acquires Bahrain- and Dubai-based CoinMENA for up to $240 million.
- Deal marks Turkey’s biggest fintech acquisition and first international crypto M&A, the firm said.
- The move taps into the MENA region’s fast-growing crypto user base and supportive regulatory hubs.
Top Stories
