Judge Rejects £598M Bitcoin Landfill Recovery Attempt

Judge Rejects £598M Bitcoin Landfill Recovery Attempt

According to a BBC report, James Howells, a Welsh man who accidentally discarded a hard drive containing Bitcoin now worth £598 million, has lost his legal battle to access a landfill in Newport to recover it. The judge ruled that the claim had "no realistic prospect" of success.

Howells mined the cryptocurrency in 2009 when Bitcoin was virtually worthless, but mistakenly tossed the hard drive in 2013 and has spent years lobbying for access to the landfill. He even offered the council a share of the proceeds but has been denied every single time.

Reacting to the decision, Howells said, "This ruling has taken everything from me and left me with nothing." He added that he felt denied a fair trial, calling the decision "a kick in the teeth." Despite Bitcoin’s 80% surge in value last year, the ruling leaves Howells with nothing.

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Bitcoin ETFs Face $582M Outflow Amid Inflation Worries

US-listed Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs saw $582 million and $159 million in net outflows on Wednesday, respectively, amid rising inflation fears, according to SoSoValue data. This represents the second-highest Bitcoin ETF withdrawal since the product launched, with Fidelity’s FBTC leading the losses at $258 million.

Bitcoin's price dropped to $92,500 during the sell-off, reflecting concerns over renewed bond market volatility and the Federal Reserve’s tightening stance. Analysts like Valentin Fournier of BRN remain cautiously optimistic, stating, "The U.S. employment report on Friday will provide critical insights into the market" in a recent email.

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Ripple CEO Meets Trump, Stokes XRP ETF Speculation

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse met with President-elect Donald Trump, fueling anticipation around the possible approval of XRP exchange-traded funds. Ripple’s native token, XRP, rose 4% to $2.32 in 24 hours, outperforming Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Ripple President Monica Long told Bloomberg, “An XRP ETF is very likely to come soon.” Ripple has gained momentum with firms like 21Shares and Bitwise filing for XRP ETFs. Garlinghouse's photo with Trump added to speculation, with many viewing Trump’s administration as supportive of crypto. XRP recently reached its highest price since 2018, strengthening its position as a top asset.

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Fetch.ai Launches $10M Accelerator for AI Startups

Fetch.ai has announced a $10 million accelerator program to support startups developing crypto AI agents, quantum computing, and high-performance technology. Hubs in San Francisco, London, and India are part of the initiative under the direction of Fetch.ai's Innovation Lab.

CEO Humayun Sheikh emphasized that "agents will redefine how we build software." Participating startups will gain funding, mentorship, and access to Fetch.ai's proprietary agent technology, bridging research and real-world applications. Additional support includes global innovation hubs and collaborations with institutions like MIT’s Web.lab, enhancing Fetch.ai’s global footprint.

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Data of the Day

A Solana trader paid a staggering $200,000 priority fee to secure 17% of a new meme coin’s supply but sold minutes later at an $89,000 loss. The transaction, involving 1,068 SOL, aimed to prioritize the purchase of AI-themed token “AI Deborah” but ended disastrously.

The trader used Bloom Bot to set a manual fee for the transaction. Pseudonymous Bloom Bot owner Traian explained, "This was an intentional pursuit, not an error." Despite the loss, the same trader recently netted a $1.3 million gain on another meme coin.

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More Breaking News

• FTX stated that Backpack’s announced acquisition of FTX EU and responsibility for creditor repayments has not been approved by the bankruptcy court.
• Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire revealed a $1 million USDC donation to Trump’s inaugural committee, highlighting digital dollars' growing acceptance.
• Trump's new NFT collection debuted on the Ordinals protocol, with users listing items on the MagicEden Bitcoin NFT marketplace priced around 0.25 BTC.
• Do Kwon’s criminal fraud trial is set for January 2026 as prosecutors navigate encrypted devices and translate evidence from Korean to English.
• Thai authorities seized 1,000 Bitcoin miners accused of stealing $3 million worth of electricity by tampering with local power meters.

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