Bitcoin Hard Drive Lost Forever? UK Court Says No to Dig

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$676 Million Bitcoin Hard Drive Lost Forever? UK Court Says No to Dig

Written by Aaron S.,

Editor-In-Chief

Last Updated: March 17, 2025

Key Takeaways

A UK court denied James Howells’ appeal to search a landfill for his lost hard drive holding 8,000 Bitcoin, worth $676 million;
After years of legal battles, Howells now plans to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights, seeking a different ruling;
The landfill is nearing closure, and once it shuts down, any chance of recovering the missing Bitcoin may be lost forever.

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$676 Million Bitcoin Hard Drive Lost Forever? UK Court Says No to Dig

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James Howells, a Welsh man fighting to recover his lost Bitcoin BTC $89,325.96 , has hit another dead end after a UK court refused his appeal to dig up a landfill where he believes his hard drive is buried.

The device, which holds 8,000 Bitcoin, has been missing for over a decade and is now worth around $676 million.

Howells has spent years trying to gain access to the landfill. He argued that modern technology could help locate and recover the device.

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He even considered buying the site outright, but legal officials remain unconvinced. Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Nugee stated in his ruling that Howells’ appeal had “no real prospect of success".

Frustrated by the court’s decision, Howells shared a screenshot of the ruling in a March 14 post on X, stating:

The Great British Injustice System strikes again… Moral of the Story: The state always protects the state.

After losing his latest legal battle, he now plans to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights, hoping for a different outcome.

The landfill is nearing full capacity and is expected to close within the next couple of years, according to a local council budget plan. Once that happens, any chance of searching for the hard drive may disappear for good.

Meanwhile, Paul Chowles, an officer at the UK National Crime Agency (NCA), faces 15 charges brought by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). What happened? Read the full story.