British Man Recovers $5 Million in Lost Bitcoin After 12-Year Ordeal

A British Bitcoin investor, who wishes to remain anonymous, has recovered his lost cryptocurrency after a 12-year ordeal. He initially invested £1,500 in Bitcoin through Intersango, an early UK exchange, in 2011.

However, by 2014, the platform had run into trouble, and Chris's account was frozen, making his Bitcoin inaccessible. Despite watching the value of Bitcoin skyrocket, he couldn't access his coins for years.

'It was a bit of a shock when it happened,' Chris said. 'It wasn't really money that I wanted to lose.'

His wife eventually encouraged him to try recovering the lost cryptocurrency, and after specialists and lawyers worked through historical records using blockchain tracing, 61 Bitcoin were recovered in May 2026.

The recovery is a remarkable turnaround for Chris, who initially invested £1,500. His recovered Bitcoin are now worth approximately £3.3 million or $5 million.