James Howells, a Welsh man who lost 8,000 bitcoins to a landfill, has been fighting for years. He lost another appeal, trying to get the right to purchase and excavate the site, and plans to go to the European Court of Human Rights.

The city of Newport plans to seal off the landfill and turn it into a solar farm in 2026. It has a long-term economic vision for the site, and zero interest in Howells’ dogged efforts.

Howells’ Quest to Recover Landfill Bitcoin

The price of Bitcoin has shot up wildly in the last few years. There’s no shortage of anecdotes from people who purchased BTC long ago and lost or spent it all. Some people, however, go further than others with their regrets.

James Howells, a man who lost a hard drive with 8,000 bitcoins on it, has fought for years to excavate the landfill where it rests.

Despite British courts repeatedly refusing to let Howells dig up the landfill and recover his Bitcoin, the potential gain is too great to forget.

He offered the Newport local council $72 million in 2021 and tried to purchase the landfill this February. Today, his legal battle to force the issue met another setback, as another appeals petition was shut down:

“Appeal request to the Royal Court of Appeal: refused. The Great British Injustice System strikes again… The state always protects the state. Next stop: the European Court of Human Rights,” Howells posted on social media.

According to reports, the presiding judge dismissed Howells’ arguments. He said that the effort didn’t have “any real prospect of success” and that “there is no compelling reason” why the Court should consider his appeal.

Also, Newport’s city council is not interested in Bitcoin and plans to seal off and redevelop the landfill site in 2026.

Indeed, there are many sad cases of lost Bitcoin, though few are quite so flamboyant as Howells’ landfill saga.

In 2021, the British government estimated that $140 billion worth of Bitcoin had been lost. This number has shot up tremendously since then. Even if Howells could excavate the site, it’s very unlikely that his hard drive will remain functional.

In short, storing cryptoassets on a hard wallet is probably the safest method, but anything is possible. Freak accidents like Howells’ can and have destroyed vast sums of money all over the world.

Overall, he is still determined to get his Bitcoin back from the landfill, but it seems like an impossible task.

Kentucky lawmakers have approved HB 701, a bill that aims to strengthen Bitcoin self-custody rights and create a friendly environment for crypto mining operations across the state.

The bill, introduced by Representatives Adam Bowling and T.J. Roberts, gained unanimous approval from both legislative chambers on March 14.

Kentucky’s Push Pro-Bitcoin Policies

HB 701 strengthens individual rights by clearly allowing the self-custody of digital assets like Bitcoin through privately controlled wallets. It also safeguards Bitcoin mining operations by preventing discriminatory zoning regulations that could unfairly target miners.

Additionally, it removes certain financial licensing requirements for small-scale miners, lowering entry barriers for independent participants in the industry.

Kentucky’s Senate Majority highlighted these protections on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the bill shields node operators and staking providers from liability for validated transactions.

It also ensures that digital asset mining and staking activities remain exempt from money transmitter and securities regulations. The Attorney General’s Office has the authority to enforce these exemptions.

“[The bill] shields node operators and staking providers from liability for validated transactions and exempts digital asset mining and staking from money transmitter and securities regulations. The Attorney General’s Office is authorized to enforce violations,” Kentucky’s Senate Majority explained on X.

Meanwhile, a significant provision of the bill clarifies that Bitcoin mining and staking services will not be classified as securities. This distinction provides greater regulatory certainty for industry participants.

Beyond mining and self-custody, the HB 701 bill safeguards individuals’ rights to use digital assets for payments. It prohibits additional taxes or fees on digital asset transactions beyond those imposed on standard financial payments.

Overall, this provision aims to enhance Bitcoin’s utility as a medium of exchange within the state.

“Digital assets used as a method of payment shall not be subject to additional taxes, withholdings, assessments, or charges that are based solely on the use of the digital asset as the method of payment,” the bill stated.

With approval from both houses, the bill now awaits the governor’s signature. If signed into law, it will reinforce Kentucky’s reputation as a crypto-friendly state and encourage further innovation in the digital asset sector.

Meanwhile, HB 701’s passage comes as lawmakers consider a separate bill to establish a Bitcoin reserve. This initiative would allocate a portion of Kentucky’s excess funds to digital assets, providing the state with an alternative store of value.

Although the bill does not explicitly mention Bitcoin, it references digital assets—excluding stablecoins—with a market capitalization exceeding $750 billion. Bitcoin’s market capitalization is currently at $1.7 trillion, making it the only asset meeting these criteria.

Despite this proposal remaining under review, Kentucky’s proactive approach places it among states pushing for greater Bitcoin adoption.

French Central Bank Governor François Villeroy de Galhau sounded the alarm on US President Donald Trump’s support for crypto. He warned that his policies could sow the seeds of the next global financial crisis.

Trump’s pro-crypto stance started in the run-up to the presidential election in November 2024. The policies he declared in his manifesto for the presidential bid significantly contributed to his reelection as digital asset proponents sought to ouster the anti-crypto regime.

France’s Villeroy de Galhau Calls Out Trump

In an interview with local French media, Villeroy de Galhau expressed concerns that the US administration’s push for crypto-assets and non-bank finance could lead to severe economic disruptions.

“Financial crises often originate in the United States and spread to the rest of the world. By encouraging crypto-assets and non-bank finance, the American administration is sowing the seeds of future upheavals,” he stated.

This criticism follows Trump’s recent executive order to create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a separate stockpile of digital assets. The move and his broader pro-crypto stance have been controversial among financial experts, who fear it could destabilize global markets.

Specifically, de Galhau’s warning comes after a significant market downturn triggered by Trump’s executive order. Last week, Bitcoin crashed below $85,000, leading to $250 million in liquidations across the crypto market. The sudden sell-off highlighted the inherent volatility of digital assets and raised fresh concerns about the risks of government-backed crypto investments.

Furthermore, Trump is reportedly planning an executive order to overturn Operation Choke Point 2.0, a regulatory policy restricting crypto firms’ banking access. By reversing this policy, Trump aims to further integrate crypto into the traditional financial (TradFi) system. However, critics argue this could expose banks and investors to unprecedented risks.

Among the renowned personalities against Trump’s pro-crypto rhetoric is Peter Schiff, a well-known Bitcoin skeptic. He harshly criticized Trump’s Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, calling it “the biggest crypto rug pull of all time.” Schiff argues that the policy could lead to market manipulation and loss of public funds. He also warned that it may be designed to benefit insiders at the expense of regular investors.

Adding to these concerns, a recent poll found that most US voters oppose Trump’s push for a national Bitcoin reserve. Many Americans worry that taxpayer money could be wasted on a highly volatile asset, especially given Bitcoin’s recent market instability.

Europe to Push for Stability

Meanwhile, de Galhau emphasized that Europe must be more cautious and strengthen its financial safeguards to avoid fallout from US policies. Beyond the new tariffs on Canada, a key concern for France is the 25% imposed against the European Union.

“We have made a decision and we’ll be announcing it very soon. It’ll be 25% generally speaking, and that will be on cars and all other things,” Trump said in a recent Cabinet meeting.

Against this backdrop, de Galhau reiterated the importance of enhancing the euro’s global role. Specifically, he calls on the country to establish a strong savings and investment union to attract international investors.

“Donald Trump seems to harbor this false vision that the global economy is a zero-sum game… He sees it like a Monopoly board; with a fixation on trade deficits… We must not respond to this brutality with passivity or inevitability, but with will…we undoubtedly need to establish a balance of power to put ourselves in a position to negotiate. …let us not miss this opportunity to awaken and strengthen Europe,” he added.

As Trump’s pro-crypto policies continue to reshape the financial sector, global leaders remain divided on the potential consequences. With market volatility on the rise and regulatory uncertainty growing, the debate over the future of cryptocurrency in national economies is far from settled.