A British Bitcoin investor has recovered 61 BTC that he lost access to after the collapse of an early crypto exchange in 2014. The coins are now worth about £3.3 million ($5 million), turning an original £1,500 investment into a multimillion-pound fortune after a 12-year fight.
He says he plans to buy a bigger home and hold onto the rest.
The investor, identified only as Chris, bought Bitcoin in 2011 after a friend convinced him that the cryptocurrency could become valuable.
He invested around £1,500, and within a few weeks, the value started rising. By the time the exchange began running into trouble, his Bitcoin was worth about £4,000.
Chris had stored the Bitcoin through Intersango, one of the UK’s early crypto exchanges. The platform became inaccessible in 2014, leaving users unable to withdraw their funds.
For years, Chris tried to recover his Bitcoin but could not get access to the exchange or his account.
Chris eventually turned to CEL Solicitors in 2026. The legal 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.
The recovery was completed in May 2026, ending a 12-year effort to regain access to the coins.
Chris described watching Bitcoin rise without being able to access his holdings as “a punch in the stomach.”
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.
Chris plans to use some of the money for a larger family home and keep part of the Bitcoin as a long-term holding.
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