ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, IT engineer James Howells from Newport accidentally discarded a hard drive containing $669 million worth of Bitcoin. Although he is trying to legally access the landfill or directly purchase the site, a UK waste management expert has questioned the possibility of recovery, claiming that the chances of finding the lost hard drive and recovering the $669 million worth of Bitcoin are almost zero.Howells is a computer engineer from Newport, South Wales, who believes that his ex-wife mistakenly discarded the hard drive containing the Bitcoin wallet in 2013. He has taken legal action to try to access the local landfill or to seek £495 million ($609 million) in compensation from Newport City Council.At a hearing in December, the court learned that Howells, as an early Bitcoin user, mined over 7,500 Bitcoins in 2009 when the value of Bitcoin was very low. However, on January 9, the judge dismissed the case, stating that due to the time that has passed, the grounds for the lawsuit were insufficient, and "if the case were to proceed, the chances of success are almost zero." A UK commercial waste company stated that even if Howells managed to access the site, the probability of finding the hard drive among 1.4 million tons of waste in the landfill is only 1 in 902 million.

ChainCatcher news, according to Straitstimes, British man James Howells is considering buying the landfill where he lost his Bitcoin hard drive to continue searching for the lost $1 billion in Bitcoin.James Howells' former partner mistakenly disposed of the hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoins as garbage in 2013. He has attempted to sue the city council for access to the landfill or to obtain £495 million in compensation, but the city council recently announced the closure of the landfill and plans to convert part of the land into a solar power plant.

ChainCatcher news, James Howells, an IT engineer from Newport, Wales, recently revealed by his ex-girlfriend Halfina Eddy-Evans that in 2013 she discarded a hard drive containing 8,000 BTC at Howells' request.Eddy-Evans explained her role in the incident, saying, "He asked me to throw away unwanted things, including the hard drive. It’s not my fault that it was thrown away." The hard drive was discarded when the price of BTC was less than $1, and now these BTC are worth over $716 million.Previous news, James Howells accidentally discarded a hard drive containing 8,000 bitcoins and is suing the Newport City Council in the UK for £495 million (approximately $647 million) in damages.Howells has made several attempts to retrieve the hard drive from the local landfill but has been obstructed by the council, which has repeatedly denied his requests to excavate the site.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, a British IT engineer James Howells from Newport accidentally discarded a hard drive containing 8,000 bitcoins into a landfill and is suing the Newport City Council for £495 million (approximately $647 million) in damages.It is reported that the man has made several attempts to retrieve the hard drive from the local landfill but has faced resistance from the city council, which has repeatedly denied his requests to excavate the site.

ChainCatcher news, the Russian Telegram channel Baza reports that the Russian Interpol has arrested a British citizen, Christopher Douglas Emms, who was wanted by Interpol at the request of the United States. The man is accused of conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), with U.S. authorities claiming he was assisting North Koreans in using encryption technology to evade sanctions.It is reported that Emms collaborated with an American citizen to illegally provide cryptocurrency and blockchain technology services to North Korea. The two answered questions from a North Korean audience about blockchain and encryption technology, including individuals working for the Pyongyang government. They also proposed plans to create smart contracts for North Korea and devised cryptocurrency transactions aimed at avoiding U.S. sanctions. Emms' American partner was arrested in November 2019. (source link)