### Man Sues City Council for Blocking Recovery of Lost Bitcoin Worth $500 Million

A man from the UK has launched a $647 million lawsuit against Newport City Council for preventing him from retrieving a discarded hard drive loaded with Bitcoin. According to WalesOnline, James Howells claims the council obstructed his efforts to recover the device for more than a decade following a mistake that led to it being thrown out.

Howells contends that despite reaching out to the council repeatedly over ten years, his pleas were largely ignored. Determined, he assembled and financed a team capable of undertaking the massive task of sifting through 100,000 tons of landfill waste. He even proposed a deal offering the council 10% of the Bitcoin's value in return for allowing the excavation.

The hard drive in question allegedly holds 8,000 Bitcoins, now valued at over $500 million. The mishap occurred when his partner mistakenly disposed of a trash bag containing the Bitcoin wallet while clearing out some equipment.

Experts in Howells' team suggest there is an 80% chance the digital currency could be recovered if the hard drive is located. Nevertheless, the council has dismissed his proposals, citing serious environmental concerns.

A council spokesperson emphasized that excavation is not feasible under their current environmental permit, pointing out that such an operation would significantly harm the surrounding area. They also noted that the council remains the sole entity authorized to conduct any activity on the site.

This lawsuit brings attention to the challenges and risks associated with the storage and recovery of digital assets like Bitcoin, particularly when valuable data ends up in unexpected places.