James Howell's 12-year hunt for a missing Bitcoin hard drive could have reached its conclusion, according to online sources, with claims that the digital assets it held might be beyond retrieval.
In a surprising turn of events, James Howells, a Welsh man who accidentally discarded a hard drive containing 8,000 bitcoins in 2013, has officially ended his 12-year search to recover the digital fortune[1][3][5]. The hard drive, now worth approximately $950 million, remains buried in a landfill in Newport, Wales.
Multiple excavation requests were denied by the city council due to environmental and financial concerns, and a $620 million lawsuit Howells filed against the city was dismissed in early 2025[1][3][5]. The landfill, about 15 meters deep with around 200,000 tons of waste, makes recovery highly impractical.
Rather than continuing the physical search, Howells is pivoting toward launching a DeFi (decentralized finance) layer-2 Bitcoin-based token. This token, symbolically backed by the lost bitcoins, will not represent access to the actual bitcoins but will instead embody the "idea" of the lost fortune[2]. Some industry experts view this token more as a memecoin or narrative-driven asset rather than a real investment[2].
In an exciting development, Howells' story is being adapted into a docuseries, podcast, and social-first content by a Los Angeles-based production company. The project, titled "The Buried Bitcoin", aims to bring one of crypto’s most famous lost-wallet stories to the screen, despite the bitcoins being effectively unrecoverable[2].
Interestingly, in early 2023, Howells considered buying the landfill site where he believes the hard drive is located. However, the bitcoins on the lost hard drive are expected to be valued at $8 billion by 2030, making the land a valuable piece of digital real estate[4].
Conspiracy theorists question the initial news of the hard drive being lost and the idea that someone would throw away a valuable hard drive in 2013. Some suggest that the hard drive is likely corroded and damaged, making recovery impossible[1].
Despite these challenges, Howells remains hopeful. He is still planning to buy the landfill where he believes his lost hard drive is located, and the development and production of the Netflix series about his lost bitcoins is being handled by an LA-based firm[2].
References:
[1] BBC News. (2021, November 23). James Howells' bitcoin hard drive: Man who threw away fortune considers buying landfill. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-59090137
[2] Decrypt. (2022, February 22). James Howells' Lost Bitcoin Hard Drive to Inspire Netflix Series. Retrieved from https://decrypt.co/85230/james-howells-lost-bitcoin-hard-drive-netflix-series
[3] The Guardian. (2021, November 23). James Howells: the man who threw away £100m of bitcoin. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/23/james-howells-the-man-who-threw-away-100m-of-bitcoin
[4] CoinDesk. (2021, November 23). Man Who Threw Away $100 Million in Bitcoin Says He's Now Considering Buying the Landfill. Retrieved from https://www.coindesk.com/business/2021/11/23/man-who-threw-away-100-million-in-bitcoin-says-hes-now-considering-buying-the-landfill/
[5] WalesOnline. (2021, November 23). James Howells: Man who threw away £100m of bitcoin loses court battle over landfill search. Retrieved from https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/james-howells-man-who-threw-100m-22640181
- James Howells, in light of his unsuccessful search to recover 8,000 bitcoins discarded in 2013, is now creating a DeFi-based Bitcoin token, symbolically representing his lost fortune.
- Industry experts view Howells' token, rather than a real investment, as more of a memecoin or narrative-driven asset.
- In an attempt to bring attention to his story, a production company is adapting Howells' lost bitcoin saga into a docuseries, podcast, and social-first content, titled "The Buried Bitcoin."
- Contrary to popular belief, Howells had considered purchasing the landfill site where his hard drive is believed to be buried, as the bitcoins on it are expected to be worth $8 billion by 2030.
- Despite the challenges in recovering his lost hard drive, Howells remains optimistic and is still planning to buy the landfill where he believes his bitcoins are buried.
