A Londoner’s years-long quest for an $800 million Bitcoin-containing laborious drive hidden someplace in a Welsh landfill has now been licensed right into a cross-platform documentary sequence.
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 Laborious Drive Holds Crypto Fortunes Value A King’s Ransom
Howells, a type of who mined Bitcoin in its early years, misplaced entry to eight,000 Bitcoin in 2013 when his laborious drive was mistakenly discarded. At present costs, that cryptocurrency hoard is price over $800 million.
The laborious drive ended up in a municipal landfill in Newport, Wales, the place it nonetheless sits despite 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 characteristic a high-end sequence, podcast, and social media push. LEBUL intends to mix points 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 over the past decade. He’s requested for permission to excavate the landfill and even proposed dividing any cash recovered with each the town and residents. At one time, he requested native officers for £495 million in compensation.
He has repeatedly misplaced in court docket over his protests on grounds of concern for injury to the setting in addition to land legal guidelines. He misplaced not too long ago in 2025 in Cardiff Excessive Courtroom, based on 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
Regardless of persistent setbacks, Howells is decided to get better his misplaced fortune. As reported, he’s mulling an attraction to the Supreme Courtroom. He has additionally intimated that he might try and buy the entire landfill property to get entry to the placement.
“Howells’ story, at instances likened to a up to date treasure hunt, will now discover its approach to extra folks as LEBUL turns a chunk of discarded e-waste into leisure,” stated one report on the brand new sequence.
Leisure Undertaking Generates Big Curiosity
The documentary sequence has already piqued the curiosity of worldwide streaming channels desperate to distribute the content material. Some cryptocurrency corporations have additionally proven curiosity in sponsoring the challenge, stated LEBUL.
LEBUL executives are assured that the mix of real-life drama, important monetary stakes, and real-time developments will make the sequence engaging to each cryptocurrency followers and common audiences who usually are not acquainted with Bitcoin’s early days.
The agency has but to announce a launch date for any element of the challenge.
Featured picture from Gemini Imagen, chart from TradingView
