2025-12-31 00:25:59

James Howells' Bitcoin tragedy finally seems to be over. Over a decade ago, Howells accidentally threw away his hard drive, and he spent 12 years conducting an intensive search campaign to find the lost 8,000 BTC. Ultimately, he decided to end the search.

The current market value of these 8,000 Bitcoins is approximately $705 million. Considering the value of the lost crypto asset, the scale of Howells' loss becomes clearer. Despite hoping for many years, this is a typical example demonstrating how difficult it is to recover digital assets.

BTC0,98%

View Original

This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.

13 Likes

Reward
13
7
Repost
Share

Comment

0/400

Rugman_Walking

· 9h ago

Really, 12 years... 705 million USD just gone like that, unbelievable

View OriginalReply0

FallingLeaf

· 9h ago

12 years, and 705 million dollars just gone like that... Truly incredible The most expensive trash sorting in life, haha

View OriginalReply0

LuckyHashValue

· 9h ago

705 million dollars just gone like that, hard drives are really hidden landmines It's been 12 years and I still can't let go, if it were me, I'd have gone crazy long ago, brother The most expensive trash can in history was born like this... By the way, why didn't we think of backing up back then? How regretful that must be That's why I love and fear cold wallets at the same time now I feel a bit sorry for this guy; letting go of the burden is also a kind of relief 705 million dollars, I could never earn that in my lifetime, and it just disappeared If I were him, I’d probably dream about that hard drive every night Things like Bitcoin really require caution; one slip and it's all gone What does this story tell us... Anyway, I sleep soundly knowing my coins are on an exchange Finally gave in, letting go of 12 years of obsession is not easy Thinking about if he had accumulated since 2011, he would be financially free by now This is the most heartbreaking story in the crypto world.

View OriginalReply0

degenwhisperer

· 9h ago

705 million dollars just gone like that, I'm really convinced, haha

View OriginalReply0

GrayscaleArbitrageur

· 9h ago

Haha, this guy gave up. 705 million dollars just gone like that... Truly incredible. --- 12 years, if it were me, I would have gone crazy long ago. One of the worst stories in the crypto world, no doubt. --- This is why I now back up everything three times. I never want to go through this kind of thing again. --- Honestly, reading this news is a bit upsetting—a bloody lesson. --- We still have to learn to coexist with loss; sometimes, you just have to accept defeat. --- 705 million, oh my... the cost of a hard drive. --- How strong must this guy's mental state be to let go? If it were me, I could never be so willing. --- So why can't we recover this just like retrieving lost data? --- The top 3 worst cases in the crypto world definitely include his name. --- Finally letting go of 12 years of obsession. I feel a bit sorry for him.

View OriginalReply0

MetaMisfit

· 10h ago

12 years... 7.05 million dollars just gone like that. Honestly, I feel sorry for him. --- What can you do if your hard drive is lost? That's probably the nightmare for old crypto folks. --- Wait, did he really give up just like that? If I were him, I’d try again. --- Oh my, if that happened to me, I’d probably go crazy... --- This guy is really something. After 12 years, he’s just digging through trash to find a hard drive. --- To be honest, how many people in the crypto world have experienced something like this? He’s just lucky to be known. --- 7.05 million USD... Oh my God, that’s why you need backups, everyone. --- Giving up might actually be more rational. Continuing to search is the real madness, haha. --- So, losing the private key is more terrifying than anything else. This guy is lucky—at least he knows where it is. --- 12 years... Is it worth it? I think it is, because what if he finds it?

View OriginalReply0

shadowy_supercoder