A Londoner’s years-long quest for an $800 million Bitcoin-containing exhausting drive hidden someplace in a Welsh landfill has now been licensed right into a cross-platform documentary collection.
Leisure firm LEBUL introduced this week that it has secured unique rights to inform the story of James Howells, the British engineer recognized for shedding entry to eight,000 Bitcoin again in 2013.
Man’s Misplaced Exhausting Drive Holds Crypto Fortunes Price A King’s Ransom
Howells, a kind of who mined Bitcoin in its early years, misplaced entry to eight,000 Bitcoin in 2013 when his exhausting drive was mistakenly discarded. At present costs, that cryptocurrency hoard is value over $800 million.
The exhausting drive ended up in a municipal landfill in Newport, Wales, the place it nonetheless sits regardless of Howells’ quite a few efforts to reclaim it.
“This isn’t content material,” declared Reese Van Allen, Unscripted Leisure President at LEBUL. “It’s a live-action tech thriller with nearly a billion {dollars} at stake.”
The documentary initiative, “The Buried Bitcoin: The Actual-Life Treasure Hunt of James Howells,” will function a high-end collection, podcast, and social media push. LEBUL intends to mix elements of environmental strife, cryptocurrency historical past, and particular person resolve of their narrative.
Authorized Fights Ongoing With Native Council
Howells has taken Newport Metropolis Council to court docket a number of instances during the last decade. He’s requested for permission to excavate the landfill and even proposed dividing any cash recovered with each town and residents. At one time, he requested native officers for £495 million in compensation.
He has again and again misplaced in court docket over his protests on grounds of concern for injury to the surroundings in addition to land legal guidelines. He misplaced lately in 2025 in Cardiff Excessive Courtroom, in accordance with experiences.
It’s extra of a urgent want because the council will shut the dump within the 12 months 2025-2026 and construct a part of it as a photo voltaic farm.
Engineer Refuses To Give Up Search
Despite persistent setbacks, Howells is decided to get better his misplaced fortune. As reported, he’s mulling an enchantment to the Supreme Courtroom. He has additionally intimated that he could try to buy the entire landfill property to get entry to the situation.
“Howells’ story, at instances likened to a recent treasure hunt, will now discover its strategy to extra folks as LEBUL turns a chunk of discarded e-waste into leisure,” stated one report on the brand new collection.
Leisure Venture Generates Large Curiosity
The documentary collection has already piqued the curiosity of worldwide streaming channels desirous to distribute the content material. Some cryptocurrency corporations have additionally proven curiosity in sponsoring the undertaking, stated LEBUL.
LEBUL executives are assured that the mix of real-life drama, important monetary stakes, and real-time developments will make the collection engaging to each cryptocurrency followers and common audiences who will not be acquainted with Bitcoin’s early days.
The agency has but to announce a launch date for any element of the undertaking.
Featured picture from Gemini Imagen, chart from TradingView