Latest news with #JamesHowells
Forbes
08-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Should You Invest In Bitcoin, ETFs, Or Bitcoin Treasury Companies?
Bitcoin investors have a variety of options for gaining exposure. There Are No Solutions, Only Trade-Offs' - Thomas Sowell After many years of regulatory resistance to Bitcoin, the asset has now gained approval to enter into mainstream capital markets. Starting with the approval of spot BTC ETFs to trade on January 11, 2024, various legal wrappers for BTC exposure have emerged. Recently, a notable trend has emerged as public companies add BTC to their balance sheets. Many investors likely wonder how to get best involved with this complex set of options. There are no black-and-white answers to this, only trade-offs. In this article, we will break down the pros and cons of each. Real BTC Owning actual Bitcoin, held in a personally controlled wallet of your own custody, is the original form of owning Bitcoin. Much like owning a bar of gold in your house, this offers complete control over the asset. This was the original intent of Bitcoin, an asset independent of government control or centralized authority. If custodied properly, it can not be seized or hacked or, potentially, even known that you own it. Self-custody offers a double-edged sword for many. Properly custodying Bitcoin in cold storage can result in a complete loss of your investment if not done carefully. First, the private key can be lost and unrecoverable. This famously occurred to James Howells, who accidentally disposed of the private key to access 8000 BTC, worth over $850MM today. There is no back-up for self-custody. Just as if you lost a bar of gold, it can be lost forever with no recourse. With great power comes great responsibility. In addition, ease of access to cold storage Bitcoin means that transacting may be slow. The process of accessing, transferring, or selling Bitcoin can take hours or days, which may pose a problem for some. There are alternatives to this, but they essentially remove the benefit of owning BTC directly. This includes keeping your Bitcoin on an exchange, storing your private keys in a bank or with a lawyer, or using a private key device like a Ledger to store them. This decreases the odds of you losing your Bitcoin; it also removes the self-sovereign properties that make owning Bitcoin attractive and unique. You have to trust some other party or company to keep you secure. ETFs Bitcoin ETFs are legal wrappers that allow people to gain exposure to the price of Bitcoin. They create a legal entity that holds the Bitcoin in custody on your behalf. The ETFs are regulated by the SEC and must abide by strict compliance, reporting, and security standards to be approved. This allows regular investors to make an investment in Bitcoin without having to deal with the technological peculiarities the asset poses. These ETFs are trading on major stock exchanges and can also be accessed by retirement accounts and large financial institutions that must abide by strict investment and regulatory policies. Though ETFs simplify ownership, they also neuter much of the unique protections Bitcoin can provide. You are depending on a large set of human beings to protect you. This includes the ETF creator, a firm like BlackRock or Fidelity, for example, the custodian, which is almost always Coinbase, the regulators, and market-making firms. Though all of these groups are regulated and legitimate, their incentives are not exactly aligned with every individual who wants to own bitcoin. Changes to policy, technical errors, hacks, and fraud can all arise when so many counterparties get involved. BTC Treasury Companies The latest wave of BTC exposure has come in the form of so-called Bitcoin Treasury Companies. These are public companies that hold Bitcoin rather than only USD. These vehicles offer many of the regulated protections and mainstream accessibility of an ETF and can be traded on exchanges, but add a variety of strategies and financial engineering approaches to aim to generate greater returns. These approaches can vary widely depending on the company. It can include selling more shares of stock into the market to raise more money, selling convertible debt, offering exposure across different jurisdictions in order to tap into untouched markets, trading the bitcoin using derivatives, taking out loans with the bitcoin to buy more bitcoin, and much more. For some jurisdictions, no ETF exists, and so a simple company that just buys and holds Bitcoin for shareholders may be the best option available. All of this adds another layer of human involvement to the risk of the investment. It can also mean much greater upside if chosen properly. Some of these companies trade at 10 times the value of the actual Bitcoin they hold. Though investors may be able to make more upside with BTC treasury companies, gaining exposure to intelligent strategies and retail buying momentum, they also have more risk. The same factors that can create outsized gains can create outsized losses. These are very sophisticated financial products that leverage aspects of retail speculation, debt instruments, marketing, and legal and jurisdictional arbitrage to, hopefully, outperform Bitcoin. Some of these strategies suffer from black swan-type risk, in which they will look to be doing very well until they suddenly fail. Others will be successful far out into the future. One important aspect to consider with BTC Treasury Companies is whether they are pure-play Bitcoin holding companies or does the Bitcoin complement other business activity and income. Companies that have real income may be better positioned in the long run for stability and risk management during times when the price of BTC falters, since they have other ways to pay bills and stay in business. Companies that are pure-play vehicles may have greater upside and volatility. In the end, all of these vehicles can make sense for different types of investors, from long-term individual holders to pension funds to day traders. It's important to truly understand what the company does to generate a return for you so that you can evaluate risk with a clear perspective.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Did a simple cleanup cost this man $742 million? The shocking 12-year hunt for lost Bitcoin
A Routine Cleanup With Life-Altering Consequences James Howells' Story Becomes the Plot For Docuseries Decade-Long Quest Live Events The Courtroom Drama FAQs (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel In 2013, James Howells was just an ordinary IT worker in Newport, South Wales, doing what most of us do, tidying up his office space. What he didn't realise at the time was that his routine clean-up would accidentally toss away a hard drive holding 8,000 Bitcoins, as per a report. Back then, those Bitcoins were worth $8 million, and today, that same digital wallet is valued at around $742 million, as per Daily Galaxy single mistake turned Howells' life into a treasure hunt for more than a decade, and now after 12 years, his story is being turned into a docuseries and is set to be released in late 2025, as per the report.A Los Angeles-based production company called LEBUL has bought the rights to tell Howells' story in a new docuseries, podcast, and short-form content named 'The Buried Bitcoin: The Real-Life Treasure Hunt of James Howells," reported had mined the Bitcoins in the early days of cryptocurrency, but like many at the time, he didn't fully grasp the value of what he had. The private key to the fortune was stored on a hard drive that ended up in a Newport landfill—lost under tonnes of trash, according to Daily Galaxy Bitcoin's value skyrocketed, so did Howells' determination to recover what he'd lost, but it was not easy to dig up the landfill to find his hard drive, according to the Howells didn't just sit back and mourn his loss, he made plans for high-tech solutions, including AI-powered drones and robotic systems, to safely search the landfill without causing environmental damage, reported Daily Galaxy. He had even offered to fund the project himself and asked just for the Newport City Council's permission to access the landfill, but the permission never came, according to the officials denied permission due to the potential dangers of disturbing the landfill, which could cause the release of toxic gases and the contamination of water sources, reported Daily 2024, his fight had reached its final chapter in court as a British judge ruled his recovery efforts had 'no realistic prospect' of success, as per the report. The judge also had highlighted many factors that made the case untenable, like the condition of the hard drive after more than a decade of exposure to moisture, pressure, and extreme temperatures, as per Daily Galaxy. After the ruling, his search came to an official was tossed into a landfill in Newport, South Wales, where it remains buried under tons of waste.A docuseries titled 'The Buried Bitcoin' is in production by LEBUL, along with a podcast and short-form content.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bitcoin dad who 'threw away' fortune having fight turned into US TV show
A dad who 'threw away' a £635M Bitcoin fortune is having story turned into US TV show. Unlucky James Howells, 39, was one of the first Bitcoin miners back in 2009 after he learnt about the cryptocurrency from internet forums. James, of Newport, Wales, created 8,000 coins and stored the access code on a 2.5-inch hard drive in a drawer at his home office. James Howells (Image: SWNS) But in 2013 his then-partner mistakenly threw out the hard drive. It has since laid in a rubbish tip run by Newport Council in Wales and he has spent years fighting for the right to retrieve it. James then assembled a team of experts to take Newport council to Cardiff High Court to force an excavation as a 'last resort' - but the claim was thrown out and an appeal failed. The tip where the bitcoin are allegedly buried (Image: SWNS) Lebul, a Los Angeles-based entertainment company, has now acquired the rights to develop James' unique story into a 'live-action tech thriller' TV series called The Buried Bitcoin: The Real-Life Treasure Hunt of James Howells. The series will be venturing through James' journey to recover the hard drive while facing "numerous practical and bureaucratic obstacles". Lebul's Reese Van Allen said: "This isn't just content. "It's a live-action tech thriller with nearly a billion dollars on the line, and Lebul is proud to bring it to the world."
South Wales Argus
01-05-2025
- South Wales Argus
Newport man's Bitcoin retrieval fight to become US TV show
Unlucky James Howells, 39, was one of the first Bitcoin miners back in 2009 after he learnt about the cryptocurrency from internet forums. James, of Newport, Wales, created 8,000 coins and stored the access code on a 2.5-inch hard drive in a drawer at his home office. James Howells (Image: SWNS) But in 2013 his then-partner mistakenly threw out the hard drive. It has since laid in a rubbish tip run by Newport Council in Wales and he has spent years fighting for the right to retrieve it. James then assembled a team of experts to take Newport council to Cardiff High Court to force an excavation as a 'last resort' - but the claim was thrown out and an appeal failed. The tip where the bitcoin are allegedly buried (Image: SWNS) Lebul, a Los Angeles-based entertainment company, has now acquired the rights to develop James' unique story into a 'live-action tech thriller' TV series called The Buried Bitcoin: The Real-Life Treasure Hunt of James Howells. The series will be venturing through James' journey to recover the hard drive while facing "numerous practical and bureaucratic obstacles". Lebul's Reese Van Allen said: "This isn't just content. "It's a live-action tech thriller with nearly a billion dollars on the line, and Lebul is proud to bring it to the world."
BBC News
01-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Film to be made on man who lost £570m bitcoin in Newport tip
A documentary is being made about the man who lost a hard drive containing £570m of bitcoin. James Howells, 39, has been trying to retrieve the hard drive containing his lost bitcoin fortune, which he believes is in a Newport landfill site, for over a a production company from America, called LEBUL, have acquired the exclusive rights to develop and produce his story. Mr Howells said he's "excited" to "finally be able to tell the story in his own words". Mr Howells acquired the bitcoin, also known as BTC, during the early days of the claimed his ex-partner mistakenly threw out the hard drive, containing 8,000 bitcoins, in 2013, with it ending up in a tip owned by Newport City month, a High Court judge threw out his efforts to access the landfill or get £495m in compensation, saying there were no "reasonable grounds" for bringing the claim and "no realistic prospect" of succeeding at a full led Mr Howells to represent himself at the Court of Appeal in London, using artificial intelligence to support his in March, the court dismissed his appeal, and he is now considering taking the matter to the European Court of Human Howell has also expressed interest in buying the site after the council said it planned to close it in the 2025-26 financial year, however Newport City Council said it was making no further comment on the matter. Mr Howells said "every man and his dog wanted to film this," claiming he received about 200 offers from around the world, including from BAFTA and Emmy-winning production said until recently, "the timing wasn't really right with the legal battles".However, on Tuesday, the Los Angeles-based entertainment company LEBUL announced plans for a docuseries, podcast, and short-form content documenting Mr Howells' mission to recover the mistakenly discarded hard drive containing 8,000 "The Buried Bitcoin: The Real-Life Treasure Hunt of James Howells", the series is set to explore the early days of bitcoin, Mr Howells' involvement, the legal battle, and his high-tech plan to excavate the site, all brought to life with extensive Howells said it would also follow his efforts to purchase the landfill where the hard drive is believed to be buried."It will follow the live treasure hunt if you will because even though the court has said no to me - I'm not giving up the fight," He Van Allen, from LEBUL, said: "This isn't just content. "It's a live-action tech thriller with nearly a billion dollars at stake — and LEBUL is proud to bring it to the world". The company said the series had already begun attracting strong interest from global sponsors, crypto leaders, and major streaming platforms. Mr Howells said filming is scheduled to take place over the summer, with the documentary set for release in October or added: "This is the first sort of time that I've been able to show the world exactly what we want to do at the landfill site."Once people have viewed this documentary, they won't think this is a crazy plan and they'll think it is very achievable." What is Bitcoin? Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, a virtual or digital currency that has no physical can be split into smaller units, with a satoshi being the smallest monetary are named after bitcoin's inventor Satoshi Nakamoto – believed to be a pseudonym – who wrote a key document about the currency in investing in the product around this time, like Mr Howells, were part of a "very small" crypto community known as Cypherpunks, said Billy Bambrough, author of the CryptoCodex was not the first cryptocurrency to be invented, but it did gain considerable attention with early adherents being "very quickly enamoured with it", Mr Bambrough began to rise in about 2016 and 2017, and again in 2020 during the Covid pandemic when "stock markets, cryptocurrencies and meme coins went up hugely"."A lot of people got very rich, but a lot of people also lost money," Mr Bambrough cryptocurrency also saw rapid increases in late 2024, shortly after Donald Trump's victory in the US general election, with his administration being seen as far friendlier towards cryptocurrencies than the Biden White House."A lot of people in the crypto and bitcoin worlds say the price has gone up so much in such a short amount of time, they claim it could go higher and higher," Mr Bambrough said."So I can understand why James [Howells] is keen to find his bitcoin."
