British Investor Recovers $5M Worth of Lost Bitcoins After 12-Year Fight
A British investor named Chris has finally recovered his lost Bitcoin after a 12-year battle. He had initially invested around £1,500 in 2011 through Intersango, one of the UK's early crypto exchanges. However, when the platform became inaccessible in 2014, Chris was unable to access his funds.
Chris tried for years to recover his Bitcoin but couldn't get access to the exchange or his account. He eventually turned to CEL Solicitors in 2026 and with their help, the team gathered old records and other documents to prove that the Bitcoin belonged to him.
Using blockchain tracing, the team identified a wallet containing thousands of Bitcoin that was linked to the failed exchange. After several months of work, 61 BTC were returned to Chris in May 2026.
The value of the recovered Bitcoin has changed dramatically since Chris first bought it. His original £1,500 investment is now worth roughly £3.3 million or around $5 million based on the current value of his 61 BTC. As of now, Bitcoin is trading around $78K, reflecting a slight rise seen in the last 24 hours.