A British investor has successfully recovered 61 Bitcoin (BTC) worth approximately £3.3 million, or about $4.5 million, more than 12 years after losing access to the cryptocurrency. According to reports from CEL Solicitors, the investor, identified only as 'Chris', originally invested around £1,500 ($2,000) through the early UK exchange Britcoin in December 2011. The recovered amount was valued at $4.5 million when bitcoin traded at approximately $76,500 per coin, though the total value fluctuates with market conditions. As reported by LBC, Chris regained control of the Bitcoin this year after lawyers gathered documents proving that the assets held through the defunct exchange belonged to him. The case was settled on May 28, roughly four months after Chris instructed CEL Solicitors in January 2026.
Chris purchased bitcoin when it traded at £2.94 per coin according to LBC, making his original investment worth approximately £1,500. His holdings had risen to roughly £4,000 by the time he lost access to the platform. The investor, who had a young family and a new home at the time, described the loss as particularly difficult. 'The worst thing was seeing Bitcoin grow and knowing what I could have done with the money,' Chris stated. The recovery represents a significant return on his original investment made during Bitcoin's early years, with his family's 'jaws dropped, eyes popped' when he told them about the recovery, although they initially urged him to wait until the Bitcoin arrived before celebrating.
According to CEL Solicitors, the recovery was completed in approximately four months without law-enforcement intervention. The firm combined cryptocurrency tracing technology with documents showing Chris had purchased the bitcoin. Ryan Sweetnam, director of financial litigation at CEL, explained that evidence included banking documents dating back almost 15 years. Other useful records included exchange emails, account-registration messages, deposit confirmations and customer-support correspondence. The process required preparation of documentation for US court proceedings before the claim could be resolved. As reported by LBC, the process ultimately ended through negotiations without requiring a judge to decide Chris's individual claim. The 61 BTC later reached a wallet Chris controls, and he has since transferred the recovered holdings to an FCA-regulated platform.
Britcoin was among the earliest platforms allowing customers to trade bitcoin against the British pound and was later renamed Intersango. As reported by LBC, the platform attracted thousands of users during the early years of the cryptocurrency market. Intersango ran into problems in late 2012, before its website eventually went offline in early 2014. Customers attempting to withdraw their funds received no response, while Chris found that his account had been frozen when he tried to move his Bitcoin. The exchange was not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, leaving Chris with limited options to pursue the assets at the time. After making several unsuccessful attempts to contact the company, he eventually treated the Bitcoin as lost until making another recovery attempt in early 2026 after his wife encouraged him to contact CEL Solicitors.
CEL Solicitors reports that its sister company, The Crypto Tracing Experts, identified a wallet containing more than 5,500 BTC believed to be linked to former Intersango users. At $76,500 per bitcoin, 5,500 BTC would be worth approximately $420.75 million. The firm has not published the wallet address or complete recovery methodology. During legal proceedings over the platform's closure, it was alleged that one founder holds approximately 5,500 BTC, valued in the region of £500 million, with at least part of the holdings potentially belonging to former customers. As reported by LBC, one of the founders acknowledged during litigation that he continued to hold assets belonging to former Intersango users, marking the first time anyone had admitted that these assets were still somewhere. Recovering individual holdings would require claimants to establish that specific assets belong to them using old bank statements, exchange emails and other records as evidence.
