A UK landfill at the center of one of Bitcoin’s most infamous lost treasure stories is set to close, likely ending one man’s decade-long fight to recover a hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoin (BTC).
The landfill, located in Newport, Wales, is expected to shut down in the 2025-26 financial year, according to a February 9 BBC report. With closure plans in motion, the window for recovering the alleged $768 million worth of Bitcoin is rapidly shrinking.
The Fight to Retrieve 8,000 Lost Bitcoin
The hard drive in question belonged to local IT worker James Howells, who accidentally discarded it in 2013.
- Howells mined 8,000 BTC in 2009, when Bitcoin was still in its infancy.
- His former partner reportedly threw away the drive, mistaking it for junk.
- At today’s prices, the lost Bitcoin is valued at approximately $768 million.
Since realizing his mistake, Howells has spent years petitioning the Newport council for permission to excavate the landfill.
Legal Battle Ends in Defeat
Howells took legal action against the council, offering them a share of the recovered Bitcoin if allowed to search the site.
However, his case was dismissed in January, with the judge ruling that he had “no realistic prospect” of succeeding in a full trial.
Despite his legal defeat, Howells claimed to have AI-powered technology that could pinpoint the hard drive’s location, minimizing costs and environmental damage.
The council refused the request, stating that excavation was not possible under its environmental permit due to the “huge negative environmental impact on the surrounding area.”
Landfill Site to Be Transformed into Solar Farm
The Newport council has already secured planning permission to repurpose part of the landfill for a solar farm, with approval granted in August 2023.
“The landfill has been in exploitation since the early 2000s and is coming to the end of its life, therefore the council is working on a planned closure and capping of the site over the next two years,” a council spokesperson told the BBC.
With the closure timeline set, Howells’ hopes of retrieving the buried Bitcoin treasure appear to be slipping away.
The Bigger Picture: How Much Bitcoin Is Lost Forever?
The 8,000 BTC trapped in the Newport landfill is just a fraction of what many call Bitcoin’s “black hole”—the vast supply of coins permanently lost due to forgotten keys, misplaced wallets, and accidental disposal.
- Estimates suggest that up to 3 million BTC—roughly 13% of the total supply—has been lost forever, according to Web3 executive Al Leong.
- With Bitcoin’s fixed 21 million supply, these unrecoverable coins add to the scarcity that drives BTC’s long-term value.
Could Quantum Computing Recover Lost Bitcoin?
While traditional methods may never recover lost BTC, some believe quantum computing could change that in the future.
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino recently suggested that quantum breakthroughs could unlock lost Bitcoin wallets, effectively returning lost BTC to circulation.
However, some analysts warn that this could create sell pressure, as long-lost Bitcoin floods the market, potentially impacting Bitcoin’s price dynamics.
Final Thoughts
With the Newport landfill set to close, James Howells’ dream of recovering 8,000 Bitcoin appears all but over.
Despite his legal battles, innovative retrieval proposals, and Bitcoin’s soaring value, the council remains firm in its environmental stance, leaving the hard drive—and its multimillion-dollar fortune—likely lost forever.
As Bitcoin continues to evolve, the story of Newport’s buried digital gold remains a cautionary tale of how easy it is to lose fortunes in the world of crypto—and how hard it is to get them back.
