Overview

• James Howells accidentally discarded a hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoins in 2013, which he now seeks to recover from a Newport landfill.
• Howells has repeatedly been denied permission by the Newport City Council to excavate the landfill due to environmental concerns.
• He is suing the council for £495 million ($644 million), reflecting the peak value of the Bitcoins earlier this year, as a strategy to gain excavation rights.
• Howells has assembled a team of investors and experts for the recovery mission, offering the council 10% of any recovered Bitcoins.
• The council maintains that excavation is not feasible under environmental regulations and has characterized Howells' legal claim as weak.