Kategorie: Bitcoin News

• James Howells lost his court battle against Newport City Council in January
• The judge ruled that there were “no reasonable grounds” for succeeding at a full trial
• Today, Howells’ Bitcoin would be worth around $780 million

A UK landfill site where a man lost his hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoin is reportedly set to close in the 2025-26 financial year.

The site, in Newport, Wales, “has been in exploitation since the early 2000s and is coming to the end of its life, therefore the council is working on a planned closure and capping of the site over the next two years,” said a council spokesperson.

According to the BBC, a solar farm will be built on part of the site after it received planning permission last August.

Lost battle

In January, James Howells lost his court battle against Newport City Council to recover his lost hard drive. In 2013, his former partner mistakenly threw it out in a black bin bag.  Judge Keyser KC, the Circuit Commercial Judge for Wales, dismissed Howells’ case. At the time, Keyser stated there were no “reasonable grounds” for succeeding at a full trial.

Over the last 12 years, Howells tried to engage with Newport City Council to recover his lost hard drive, but was “largely ignored.”

At the time of his loss, his assets – that he mined in 2009 – were worth around $1.3 million. Today, they would be valued at over $780 million.

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• BlackRock is planning to launch a Bitcoin ETP in Switzerland.
• This move follows the success of BlackRock’s US Bitcoin ETF.
• The Bitcoin ETP could boost crypto adoption with the EU’s MiCA regulations.

BlackRock Inc., the world’s largest asset manager, is gearing up to launch a Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Product (ETP) in Europe, marking another significant step in the firm’s expansion into the cryptocurrency market. The new ETP product is set to be registered in Switzerland.

This move follows the resounding success of BlackRock’s $58 billion US Bitcoin ETF. The success of BlackRock’s US Bitcoin ETF, which by early February 2025 had gathered $57.5 billion in net assets, speaks volumes about the investor appetite for such products.

CEO Larry Fink’s remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos highlighted Bitcoin’s potential as a hedge against currency debasement, suggesting a broader acceptance of cryptocurrencies as an alternative store of value.

This European venture is anticipated to attract both institutional and retail investors looking for exposure to Bitcoin without the complexities of direct cryptocurrency ownership.

Switzerland is becoming a digital asset innovation in Europe

The decision to domicile the ETP in Switzerland was strategic, leveraging the country’s reputation as a hub for digital asset innovation, particularly within its “Crypto Valley” in Zug.

Switzerland’s progressive regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies has made it an attractive location for BlackRock to extend its Bitcoin investment offerings beyond North American borders.

The choice of Switzerland not only aligns with BlackRock’s aim to capitalize on crypto-friendly regulations but also positions the firm to lead in the European market.

Notably, the plans to launch an ETP in Europe comes at a time when the European Union is navigating its own regulatory path through the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, which was established in 2023.

The MiCA framework aims to ensure consumer protection and market integrity, providing a stable environment for crypto investments.

Despite the European crypto market capitalizing at $17.3 billion — far less than the US’s $116.4 billion — BlackRock’s move could significantly boost the sector.

BlackRock’s entry into this market underscores the growing institutional acceptance of cryptocurrencies, a trend that has been further propelled by the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval of Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024.

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• Canadian blockchain firm Neptune Digital Assets announced it purchased 20 BTC worth almost $2 million.
• The company also bought Dogecoin, scooping the meme coin on December 27, 2024 at the average price of $0.37 per DOGE.

Neptune Digital Assets, a Canada-based blockchain firm, has announced it added 20 Bitcoin (BTC) to its holdings.

The publicly-traded company, whose operations include Bitcoin mining, staking and blockchain nodes, revealed it acquired the 20 BTC as it expanded its Bitcoin strategy between January 26 and Feb. 3, 2025.

Neptune also buys Dogecoin

According to a press release, Neptune scooped the BTC at the average price of $99,833 per coin. This means the company spent nearly $2 million to buy more of the flagship digital asset. Neptune’s total BTC holdings rose to 376 BTC with this purchase.

Neptune is one of over 60 public companies that can issue debt and use the proceeds to buy BTC. The biggest hodler among these is US-listed MicroStrategy.

Proud to be on this list 💪🏼 https://t.co/U2L2nSHbU0

— Neptune (@NeptuneDAC) November 30, 2024

Dogecoin is the other cryptocurrency to attract the blockchain firm. Per the announcement on Feb 4, the company acquired 1 million DOGE on December 27, 2024 at the average price of $0.37 per token. Neptune said it bought the meme coin via a “strategic derivative purchase.”

“As stated in previous news releases, Neptune will be acquiring additional assets, leveraging our enhanced purchasing power through the Sygnum credit line. With a strong focus on BTC, these initial acquisitions show Neptune’s commitment to its growth strategy while meticulously managing leverage risk and debt levels,” Cale Moodie, Neptune’s chief executive officer, said in a statement.

Both Bitcoin and Dogecoin have experienced sharp volatility in the past few days, with BTC and DOGE plummeting on Monday amid tariffs-driven sell-off across risk assets.

BTC fell to lows of $92k before bouncing to retest resistance above the psychological $100k level. Currently, the benchmark asset trades just above $99,400.

Meanwhile, DOGE slumped to below $0.22 and currently hovers near $0.27.

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• fun is set to replicate Pump.fun on Bitcoin.
• fun aims to offer a 20-second finality for Rune trades.
• The platform will be decentralized with no central control.

The highly anticipated Runes marketplace and launchpad dubbed Odin.fun is set to revolutionize the Bitcoin ecosystem by emulating the success of Solana’s Pump.fun.

Developed by the team behind the Bitcoin ordinals marketplace Bioniq, Odin.fun aims to provide a seamless experience for Bitcoin users interested in Runes, a new token standard on the Bitcoin blockchain.

Direct integration with Bitcoin Runes

Odin.fun stands out by directly working with the existing Runes meta-protocol, ensuring there’s no need for additional upgrades or programmability. This approach not only simplifies the user experience but also maintains the integrity of the Bitcoin network.

Users can engage in buying, selling, creating, and swapping Runes with transactions finalized in just 20 seconds, offering the speed of Solana with the robustness of Bitcoin.

Moreover, all bonded tokens can be withdrawn directly back to a user’s Bitcoin wallet at any time, with plans to expand support to BRC-20 tokens in the near future.

The platform’s commitment to decentralization is evident through its use of a threshold signing setup (TSS) for securing Bitcoin and Runes deposits, mirroring the strategies used by other decentralized systems.

By employing multisig smart contract control, Odin.fun eliminates the need for centralized custodians or control, thus providing a trustless environment for users to trade and interact with Runes.

Redefining Layer 2 on Bitcoin

Bob Bodily, co-founder and CEO of Bioniq, describes Odin.fun not as a traditional Layer 2 solution but as an appchain or an L2 in the broader sense of building seamless Bitcoin products.

This innovative perspective allows Odin.fun to offer functionalities akin to Layer 2 solutions without the complexities often associated with them on Bitcoin. The underlying technology stack, named Valhalla, operates invisibly, supporting all current and future features of Odin.fun.

Odin.fun’s capabilities are further enhanced through its integration with BLIFE, a platform designed to enrich user experiences across various blockchain applications. This integration means that BLIFE users receive exclusive benefits on Odin.fun, can complete Odin-related quests on the BLIFE platform, and their achievements on Odin.fun contribute to their BLIFE reputation.

This synergy promises to not only boost user engagement but also foster a more interconnected blockchain ecosystem.

When is Odin.fun launching?

Currently, Odin.fun is in an early access beta, requiring an invite code for participation. However, this exclusivity will soon end as the platform prepares for a public launch on Monday, February 3, 2025, making it accessible to everyone interested in exploring the potential of Bitcoin Runes.

The launch is anticipated to democratize access to the burgeoning Runes market, potentially replicating the meme coin frenzy seen with Pump.fun on the Solana network.

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