The post James Howells Shifts Focus from Lost 8,000 BTC to New DeFi Project Inspired by His Journey appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

James Howells is pivoting from recovering lost Bitcoin to launching a DeFi project, turning his 12-year saga into a new opportunity. The Lost Hard Drive That Launched a 12-Year Treasure Hunt In 2013, Howells mistakenly tossed the drive while tidying his office in Newport, South Wales. He had mined the 8,000 BTC when each coin was worth less than $1. Today, the lost stash is worth about $905 million, and his story has become a cautionary tale for anyone who self-custodies their crypto. ‘, ‘ 🔥 The Power of the TRON Ecosystem is Yours!Click now to discover exclusive opportunities! ‘, ‘ 💎 Profit Opportunities on the TRON NetworkJoin now to strengthen your investments! ‘ ]; var adplace = document.getElementById(“ads-htx”); if (adplace) { var sessperindex = parseInt(sessionStorage.getItem(“adsindexHtx”)); var adsindex = isNaN(sessperindex) ? Math.floor(Math.random() * adscodesHtx.length) : sessperindex; adplace.innerHTML = adscodesHtx[adsindex]; sessperindex = adsindex === adscodesHtx.length – 1 ? 0 : adsindex + 1; sessionStorage.setItem(“adsindexHtx”, sessperindex); } })(); Source: Bitinfocharts.com Over the years, Howells has proposed a range of solutions, from funding an excavation with private capital to proposing to buy the Newport landfill outright. In March 2025, the UK Court of Appeal rejected Howells’ bid for a permit to excavate the landfill, with Judge Christopher Nugee ruling there was “no real prospect of success” in the case. At Bitcoin 2025 in Las Vegas, Howells floated an Ordinals-based token representing 21% of the wallet’s value to fund a potential dig, with tokenholders earning a cut if recovery succeeded. That idea, too, was shelved after the city remained silent. “They had the chance to engage and negotiate with me on favorable terms for 10 years,” Howells told Cointelegraph. “What else do you want me to try? Shall I raise an army and march on the King himself?” With the door to excavation closed,…

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Filed under: News - @ August 5, 2025 11:29 pm