James Howells' year-long search for an ancient hard drive has reached a sobering end. Although the Brit did not find the treasure, the High Court has now dismissed his case. He may not search the landfill.

According to Judge Andrew Keyser, simply too much time has passed since the hard drive ended up in the landfill more than a decade ago. Moreover, according to the judge, the lawsuit had no chance of success. With his story, James Howells has become a tragic celebrity in the world of cryptocurrency. The IT engineer started mining back in the early years of Bitcoin, when the value of the cryptocurrency was barely significant.

One day he threw away an old hard drive, accidentally the one containing the 8,000 bitcoins, which today are worth $746 million. Since then, Howells has sought permission from the municipality to enter the landfill, convinced that the hard drive could still be found. He wanted to use innovative means for the search, including robot dogs and an AI machine, and had even already found investors willing to fund it.

However, Newport City Council has consistently denied access to the landfill because of environmental regulations. With the High Court ruling, the doors now appear to be closed for good. "That the case was rejected even at the first hearing doesn't even give me a chance to tell my story or seek any kind of justice," Howells told the BBC. He added: "It is not about greed, I am willing to share the proceeds, but no one in a position of power wants to have a decent conversation with me."