#UK court halts treasure hunt plan#
Hot Topic Overview
Overview
A UK court has halted IT engineer James Howells' plan to search a landfill for $735 million worth of Bitcoin. Howells accidentally discarded the hard drive containing the Bitcoin in 2013 and hoped to find it in the landfill. However, UK judge Keyser KC dismissed his application, citing environmental risks and stating that the case had "no realistic prospect of success" at trial. Newport City Council has consistently refused access to the landfill, concerned about the environmental pollution that excavation could cause.
Ace Hot Topic Analysis
Analysis
A UK court has rejected IT engineer James Howells' application to search a Newport landfill for a hard drive containing $735 million worth of Bitcoin. The judge ruled that the plan posed significant environmental risks and had "no realistic prospect of success" at trial. Howells accidentally discarded the hard drive containing the Bitcoin in 2013, when the cryptocurrency was worth only a few cents. Today, those Bitcoins are worth an estimated $735 million. Newport City Council has consistently refused to allow access to the landfill for excavation, citing the irreversible environmental damage it would cause. The judge's ruling means Howells' treasure hunt has failed, and he will be unable to recover his lost fortune.
Public Sentiment · Discussion Word Cloud
Public Sentiment
Discussion Word Cloud
Classic Views
A plan to search for the bitcoins poses environmental risks, and the court believes the plan has no realistic chance of success.
Newport City Council refused to enter the landfill to search because it would cause environmental damage.
James Howells attempted to retrieve a hard drive containing $735 million worth of bitcoins, but the court rejected his application.
Howells accidentally discarded the hard drive containing the bitcoins in 2013, when the value of bitcoins was far lower than it is now.