His former partner claimed that he followed Howells’ instructions and threw away the hard drive.

James Howells’ missing $716 million (£569 million) Bitcoin fortune was dumped in a landfill in Wales nearly a decade ago, bringing the story to a new turn.

Halfina Eddy-Evans, Howells’ former partner, announced that she threw away the hard disk containing 8,000 Bitcoins on Howells’ instructions.

“Howells told me to throw away the hard drive and it wasn’t my fault I lost it,” Eddy-Evans said in an interview with the Daily Mail.

Howells’ story highlights the risks associated with storing digital assets, especially cryptocurrencies, and the importance of proper management in preventing financial losses. In 2013, Howells accidentally threw away the hard drive while cleaning out old computer parts. At that time, the value of Bitcoin was far below today’s prices and the potential wealth in the hard drive went unnoticed.

According to Eddy-Evans, Howells asked her to throw away the “unwanted items” and “begged her to throw this away.” Eddy-Evans said he took the hard drive to the dump.

Howells later realized that the disk contained 8,000 Bitcoins that he had mined in 2009. At that time, BTC was worth less than $1 per token. Today, the value of cryptocurrency has skyrocketed and the value of lost assets is more than $716 million.

After learning about the missing assets, the Howells approached Newport City Council several times for permission to dig into the dump, but their applications were rejected.

Newport City Council rejected the request, stating that excavating 110,000 tonnes of waste posed environmental risks and logistical difficulties.

Despite the rejections, Howells remained determined and committed to privately financing the excavation. He offered to find the necessary funds by submitting a proposal of $11 million and promised to donate 10% of the recovered funds to the legislature. However, the council argued that its environmental permits were not suitable to carry out such an operation.

The IT engineer reportedly sued Newport City Council for 495 million British pounds (approximately $647 million) in damages after his demands were rejected. This case highlights the risks of cryptocurrency holders’ own storage methods.

Eddy-Evans’ statements emphasize the importance of safe storage. Planning when choosing your own storage method is essential to ensure funds are safe, accessible and protected from loss or disposal by a former partner.

When keeping funds in an online or app-based crypto wallet or hardware wallet, known as a “cold wallet,” offline storage of private keys and recovery options is critical to reduce the risk of online hacking.

Storing recovery keys and private keys in multiple secure locations, such as safe deposit boxes or encrypted digital storage areas, can help keep funds safe and prevent financial loss.