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James Howells has proposed buying the Newport landfill where he says a hard drive containing his Bitcoin private key was mistakenly dumped in 2013. But that reported proposal is not a sale, and it does not grant permission to excavate. A High Court claim seeking access to the drive or compensation was dismissed on 9 January 2025.
What happened to James Howells’s Bitcoin hard drive?
Howells says that in August 2013 a hard drive containing the private key needed to access his Bitcoin was accidentally deposited at Docksway Landfill in Newport, Wales. That is his account, as recorded in the High Court judgment; the judgment does not establish that the drive is at the site.
The distinction matters: Bitcoin is not physically stored on a hard drive. The drive would matter because, according to Howells’s claim, it held the private-key information needed to control the Bitcoin. Without that information, he said he could not access the assets.
ITV News Wales reported in 2025 that Howells said he had mined 8,000 Bitcoin. The judgment describes the claimed Bitcoin but does not confirm that balance. It recorded Howells’s claim that the Bitcoin was worth more than £600 million at the time of the 2025 proceedings; that was not a court valuation and is not a current estimate. Bitcoin’s market price changes over time.
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What did the court decide?
Howells issued his claim on 17 May 2024. He sought declarations concerning ownership of the drive and its contents, an order requiring delivery of the drive or permission to excavate for it, and, alternatively, compensation. Following a hearing on 3 December 2024, the High Court dismissed the claim on 9 January 2025. The decision is Howells v Newport City Council [2025] EWHC 22 (Ch), before Judge Keyser KC.
The judge concluded that the pleaded case lacked reasonable grounds and had no realistic prospect of success at trial. As ITV News Wales quoted from the judgment: “I consider that the particulars of claim do not show any reasonable grounds for bringing this case.”
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The dismissal resolved the claim before the court; it did not establish that the drive was absent from the landfill, confirm the amount of Bitcoin, or set a current value for it. The judgment is available from the High Court decision.
Can Howells buy the landfill?
The Block reported on 10 February 2025 that Howells was interested in buying the landfill site. The report described the idea as dependent on fair-market negotiations and further regulatory permission for excavation. It did not report that a sale had been agreed or that excavation had been approved.
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Those are separate hurdles: a willing seller and negotiated purchase would not, by themselves, authorize digging at a landfill. The reported proposal also leaves open whether a recovery plan could satisfy the relevant regulatory requirements. The Block’s account is here.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about the next steps?
As of 8 October 2026, the available reporting does not establish whether there has been an appeal, a completed or ongoing sale negotiation, a landfill closure, or redevelopment. Nor does it establish that any recovery plan or excavation permission has been approved. The reported purchase idea remains a proposal, not evidence that the drive can be recovered or that the Bitcoin is accessible.
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The key distinction for readers is between Howells’s account of what was lost, the court’s decision on the claim he brought, and the separately reported possibility of acquiring the site. None of those establishes that the hard drive is there or that the claimed Bitcoin can now be recovered.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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