He was reported on in the news. In 2013, James Howells lost 8,000 bitcoins, which were worth $176 million at the time (even though the value of the cryptocurrency fluctuates), after throwing the hard drive where they were saved by accident. After further investigation, it was discovered that the infamous hard drive had been discarded in a landfill in Newport, Wales, as reported by Business Insider. Even now, nine years later, the man does not appear to have given up hope, and he has come up with a crazy plan to retrieve his bitcoins that is estimated to cost eleven million dollars. According to some of our coworkers, he has plans to utilize canine robots manufactured by Boston Dynamics called Spot dogs.
The yellow and black-colored robots were introduced to the market for the first time in the year 2020 for $75,000. Since then, they have been put to use in a variety of contexts, such as in Singapore, where during the Covid-19 pandemic, they were used to monitor parks to ensure that social distance was maintained. In addition to these applications, the Spot robot can also be used in construction projects and to monitor herds. In the case of James Howells, they ought to be utilized not only for safety purposes as a surveillance camera but also to search the ground for his hard drive. Why do we need two? because one person would look, and the other would make sure the battery was taken care of.
Unfavorable opinion from the City Council
According to Business Insider, James Howells would have developed his action plan with the assistance of industry specialists and experts, and he would have established his financing with the assistance of two venture capital companies. It is now necessary to persuade the City Council of the city to carry out its research, which is a task that is still not particularly simple. Since 2013, the city of Newport has never permitted him to search, and the chances of him finding anything are extremely low. Even a member of the City Council has been heard to say things like, “There is nothing that Mr. Howells can present to us that will make us change our minds.”
The municipality believes that the proposals that have been made up to this point “present a significant ecological risk.” On the other hand, she is not prepared to give it any thought at this time. But James Howells has additional suggestions and is already familiar with the names he could give his Spot dogs. These names, “Satoshi” and “Hal,” make a reference to one of the people who created bitcoin and the very first person to receive payment using the cryptocurrency, respectively. The Briton published an editorial in January 2021 lamenting the “attitude of the City Council, which makes no sense.” In response, the City Council emphasized the exorbitant costs of research and, most importantly, a “permit that did not allow the site to be searched.” The participation of investors may result in a shift in the current circumstances.
