Whenever the value and discussion of crypto currency increases, a young man from Newport, Wales, UK, James Howells, also appears in the media. This year, after the price of Bitcoin reached 100,000 dollars, many news and memes were made about James. This is because Jameson once bent a hard drive with 8,000 bitcoins stored in it and threw it in the trash.

James, who had neglected the hard drive for some time, has been constantly searching for the device since the price of Bitcoin began to skyrocket. The value of the bitcoins on the hard drive suspected to be at the dumping site in Newport is believed to be worth more than 800 million US dollars this week. A few days ago, the price of Bitcoin reached 100,000 dollars . In addition, there is no shortage of sympathizers for James after newly elected US President Donald Trump has been talking about prioritizing cryptocurrencies during his tenure. 

According to media reports, in 2015, Howells' then-girlfriend Helfina Eady-Evans threw an old hard drive in the trash while cleaning out the house. At that time the price of Bitcoin was around 200 USD but the importance and buzz was not as it is now . As soon as Bitcoin started in 2009, Howells spent a few months mining 8000 Bitcoins. But after spilling lemonade on his device and breaking it, he took out the hard drive and kept it in the store . He kept the hard drive in the store and threw it away years later without his girlfriend knowing. 

This incident has reached a new height as the price of Bitcoin has skyrocketed and Eddy-Avens has spoken out about it for the first time . 'I didn't know what was on that hard drive,' she said, 'I want James to find it.' Years later, after realizing that the value of bitcoins was rising, James even asked the Newport City Council for permission to find and remove it from the dumping site. He also announced that 10 percent of the proceeds will be used for community work. But the Newport authorities have been repeatedly rejecting his proposal citing environmental problems. 

James has not given up, he has filed a lawsuit against the council for compensation of about 80 billion rupees. He has also tried to get the help of the data recovery engineers of the American space agency NASA to find the exact location of the hard drive. It is suspected that the hard drive is buried somewhere in the dumping site area of ​​estimated 100,000 tons. The reluctance of

councils has sparked debates about individual rights and environmental ethics. Critics argue that mining can cause great damage to the environment, while supporters say that such huge economic benefits should be prioritized . James doesn't seem to be backing down from his treasure hunt either. "This problem is not so solved, this treasure is becoming more valuable day by day and I will leave it as soon as I find it," he said.