#UK court halts treasure hunt plan#

A UK court has recently halted IT engineer James Howells' plan to search a landfill for $735 million worth of Bitcoin. Howells accidentally discarded the hard drive containing the Bitcoin in 2013 and has been trying to persuade Newport City Council to allow him access to the landfill to excavate. However, Judge Keyser KC dismissed his application, citing environmental risks and the "no realistic prospect of success" of the case at trial. Newport City Council has consistently refused access to the landfill, as excavation could cause irreversible damage to the environment and the chances of success are extremely low. Howells mined the Bitcoin in 2009 when it cost only a few cents to mine, and its value has now skyrocketed to hundreds of millions of dollars. Although Howells offered to bear all risks and costs, the court ultimately sided with environmental protection and the public interest, denying his request.