Lost Bitcoins in James Howell's Wallet Valued at $930 Million and Counting
After a 12-year battle to physically recover his lost Bitcoin hard drive from a landfill, James Howell has officially abandoned his efforts due to repeated refusals by the local council, citing environmental and safety concerns. The hard drive, which contains approximately 8,000 BTC (worth around $905-$950 million), has remained buried.
In response, Howells has pivoted his approach to tokenization, launching a new project called Ceiniog coin. This DeFi token, set to launch in late 2025, will symbolically represent the value of the lost Bitcoin wallet without direct physical access to the coins.
The Ceiniog project is built on Bitcoin’s blockchain infrastructure, integrating technologies like OP_RETURN, and working with Web3 projects such as Stacks, Runes, and Ordinals. The landfill will serve as a symbolic vault that "no one can open, but everyone can see."
The Ceiniog coin aims to mirror the exact amount of Bitcoin lost, offering a way for the community to help fund the excavation by buying tokens. However, it's important to note that token holders will not have spendable claims to the actual coins. Instead, they will represent conceptual ownership of the lost Bitcoin's value.
Although novel, the Ceiniog coin has received mixed reception. Some view it as a narrative or memecoin rather than a traditional investment, while others see it as a unique Bitcoin-focused DeFi utility.
James Howells has partnered with a Los Angeles-based production company to document his story in a docuseries titled The Buried Bitcoin, broadening public awareness of his saga and the project.
If successful, the Ceiniog coin could potentially reward token holders with Bitcoin from the wallet. Howells remains committed to this new approach, seeking community support for his innovative idea.
- Despite the failure to recover his physical Bitcoinhard drive, James Howells continues his pursuit of the lost Bitcoin by launching a DeFi token called Ceiniog coin, which aims to mirror the value of the lost Bitcoin wallet.
- The innovative Ceiniog coin, built on Bitcoin's blockchain infrastructure, could potentially reward token holders with Bitcoin from the lost wallet, offering an opportunity for the community to invest in this unique Bitcoin-focused DeFi utility.
