Étienne Girard
More than a decade after accidentally discarding a hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoin, British IT engineer James Howells is taking a bold new step — and no, he hasn’t given up.
In an exclusive message to PRIME, Howells confirmed that while he’s no longer trying to excavate the Newport landfill, his pursuit of the lost fortune is far from over. Instead, he’s pivoting to tokenize his legal rights to the digital assets.
From Landfill Battles to Blockchain Tokens
Howells first made headlines in 2013 when he mistakenly threw away a hard drive that held Bitcoin mined years earlier. With today’s price hovering around $114,000 per BTC, the total value of his lost wallet is nearly $915 million.
Over the years, he lobbied local authorities for permission to dig up the landfill but was repeatedly denied access by the Newport City Council. At one point, he even proposed using AI-powered technology to pinpoint the hard drive’s location.
In July 2025, Howells submitted a formal acquisition offer valued between $33 million and $40 million to the city council — but received no response. Following that silence, he made a strategic decision: abandon the excavation effort and refocus entirely.
Ceiniog Coin: A New Chapter in the Lost Bitcoin Saga
Despite walking away from the landfill project, Howells emphasizes that he is still the rightful owner of the digital contents — citing a High Court ruling from January 2025 affirming his legal claim over the 8,000 BTC.
“The Council may control the physical hard drive, but the Bitcoin on it remains legally mine, verifiable by anyone on the blockchain,” he stated.
To bring this vision to life, Howells is now developing Ceiniog Coin (INI) — a Bitcoin Layer 2 smart token that leverages an upcoming protocol update allowing for more flexible blockchain transactions.
The token launch is scheduled for post-October 2025, with an ICO expected by year-end. Ceiniog Coin aims to power a Web3 ecosystem focused on fast, scalable, and payment-driven applications, all secured by the Bitcoin network and backed by the 8,000 BTC in question.
A High-Risk, High-Tech Bet on Ownership
While some may see this as a long shot, others view it as a visionary attempt to turn lost digital wealth into a functioning asset class. If successful, Howells’ pivot could redefine how legal rights to digital property are enforced and leveraged in the blockchain space.
