#UK court halts treasure hunt plan#
Hot Topic Overview
Overview
A UK court has rejected IT engineer James Howells' application to search a landfill for a hard drive containing $735 million worth of Bitcoin. Howells accidentally discarded the hard drive containing the Bitcoin in 2013 and has been trying to retrieve it from the landfill ever since. However, the court ruled that the plan posed environmental risks and had "no realistic prospect of success" at trial, thus denying Howells' application. Newport City Council has consistently refused access to the landfill, citing environmental risks. Howells mined the Bitcoin in 2009 when it cost mere cents to do so, and it is now worth $735 million.
Ace Hot Topic Analysis
Analysis
A UK court has rejected IT engineer James Howells' application to search a landfill for a hard drive containing $735 million worth of Bitcoin, citing environmental risks. Howells accidentally discarded the hard drive in 2013, which contained Bitcoin he mined in 2009 for just a few cents. Newport City Council has consistently refused access to the landfill for excavation, and the judge ruled that the case had "no realistic prospect of success" at trial. Despite Howells proposing various solutions, including using robots and specialized equipment for excavation, the court deemed them all to pose environmental risks and offered no guarantee of finding the hard drive. The court's ruling means Howells' treasure hunt has failed, and he will not be able to recover his $735 million worth of Bitcoin.
Public Sentiment · Discussion Word Cloud
Public Sentiment
Discussion Word Cloud
Classic Views
Finding the Bitcoin hard drive poses a significant environmental risk, as it would require excavating large amounts of landfill, causing irreversible damage to the environment.
The court deemed the case "unlikely to succeed" as the chances of finding the hard drive are extremely low, and the cost of excavation far outweighs the value of the Bitcoin.
The Newport City Council has consistently refused access to the landfill, citing safety concerns for local residents and the potential for environmental contamination.
Despite the high value of the Bitcoin, the cost and risk associated with finding the hard drive are too high, leading the court to ultimately dismiss the application.