In the early days of Bitcoin, a young pioneer named James Howell mined thousands of coins when very few believed in their value. Years later, a costly mistake put his digital fortune out of reach.
Let us uncover the story behind this lost treasure and the challenges of recovering it.
Early Bitcoin Pioneer: James Howell’s Journey
In early 2009, James Howell was among the first five people to run Bitcoin software and mined about 8,000 Bitcoins. He stopped mining at some point, and in 2013, he accidentally threw away the hard drive holding his Bitcoin wallet, which ended up in a Newport landfill.
From Early Discovery to Legal Roadblocks
In the summer of 2013, when Bitcoin was around $40, James first noticed the value of his lost wallet skyrocketing during Bitcoin’s first major bull run. He approached Newport City Council and the landfill operator, and told them about the nearly $10 million in a hard drive buried at the site, which he recalls as a “fun experience”. Despite many attempts to recover it, he faced legal obstacles and was denied access by the council.
Is Recovery Still Possible?
Although the hard drive’s casing is likely damaged due to environmental factors, experts believe that the digital information inside could still be retrieved using advanced forensic techniques.
James Howell spent over ten years trying to work with Newport City Council to recover his lost Bitcoin hard drive. Despite offering a 25% share, a formal £25M+ offer, bringing in expert recovery teams, and pursuing legal action, his efforts were repeatedly ignored or dismissed.
James has still not given up and continues to explore alternative methods to recover his lost fortune.
New Hope Through Ceiniog Coin: A Bitcoin DeFi Vision
He has now made a new plan to tokenize the Bitcoin wallet by creating a new cryptocurrency called Ceiniog coin. This token would mirror the exact amount of Bitcoin lost and offers a way for the community to help fund the excavation by buying tokens.
If successful, token holders could be rewarded with Bitcoin from the wallet.
James envisions the Ceiniog coin as more than just a token; it will be a Bitcoin-focused DeFi utility, bringing new use cases to the Bitcoin network by integrating with platforms like Stacks, Runes, and Ordinals, launching late 2025.
His goal is to revive Bitcoin’s original purpose as a peer-to-peer electronic cash system rather than just a store of value.
Despite facing many roadblocks, James remains committed to this new approach, hoping the community will support his vision.
