James Howells Reveals New Plan to Extract Landfill Bitcoin Drive

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• James Howells has revealed that he is considering trying to buy the landfill in which 8,000 bitcoins he once mined are stuck
• Howells’ girlfriend accidentally discarded the drive, now worth $776 million, in 2013
• Newport City Council is considering selling the site and Howells is now looking into buying it

James Howells, the Welshman who famously lost 8,000 bitcoins when his girlfriend threw out a drive he had accidentally left out as trash, may have been handed a lifeline in order to try and recover it. Just three weeks ago, Howells lost what seemed to be his last chance at excavating the landfill when a judge ruled that the drive, thrown out in 2013, belonged to Newport City Council rather than him. However, the council is now considering selling the tip, and Howells has sensed an opportunity.

Bitcoins Legal Defeat Looked to be the End

Howells has been trying to get his hands on the hard drive containing 8,000 coins he mined in early 2009 ever since he inadvertently disposed of it in an office clearout. Despite numerous appeals, Newport City Council has repeatedly refused his proposals to excavate Docks Way landfill site in Newport in order to find it. As the value of the haul has increased, however, Howells has upped the ante.

Howells has proposed funding the excavation himself and offered a share of the recovered bitcoins to the council and the local community. Despite these offers, the council has consistently denied his requests, expressing concerns over environmental impact and legal constraints.

In January, Judge Keyser KC dismissed Howells’ legal claim, stating that it had “no realistic prospect of succeeding.” The judge upheld the council’s position that the hard drive, having been discarded, legally belongs to them. Howells expressed his disappointment, stating that the ruling “has taken everything from me and left me with nothing.” This, it seemed, was the end.

Bitcoins An Unlikely Lifeline

Howells has, however, been handed the most unlikely of lifelines. Newport City Council has announced plans to close part of the landfill and convert it into a solar farm within the next two years, leading to the Welshman considering putting in a rival bid or at least agreeing to a period of time when he can search the landfill before the solar panels are installed.

He believes that owning the site would allow him to conduct the excavation without the council’s approval, but the feasibility of this plan remains uncertain, given potential environmental regulations and the significant costs involved.

Howells’s plan represents the longest of long shots, but given that it could be worth over $750 million, however, it is well worth the effort.