James Howells Ends 12-Year Hunt for Lost Bitcoin Hard Drive

Computer engineer James Howells, an early Bitcoin miner, has officially ended his 12-year search for a lost Bitcoin hard drive containing private keys to over 8,000 BTC, now worth nearly $1 billion. In 2013, Howells mistakenly discarded the drive in the Newport landfill in Wales. Since then, he attempted multiple recovery efforts, aiming to recover the lost Bitcoin hard drive using AI monitoring, robotics, and private funding. However, environmental restrictions and local authorities’ concerns blocked excavation plans. Claims of offering to share proceeds failed to secure permission. Howells mined 400–800 BTC daily in 2009, making him one of Bitcoin’s first five miners. The hard drive is buried under 25,000 cubic meters of waste, weighing 1.5 million tonnes. Having exhausted all options, he has resigned to the loss. The incident underscores the risks of managing private keys and the persistent challenges in cryptocurrency asset recovery.