A Lost Bitcoin Fortune Has Returned After More Than a Decade

From a £1,500 Punt to a £3.3 Million Recovery

A British investor identified only as Chris bought 61 $BTC in December 2011 on the advice of a friend who believed Bitcoin was going to be, in his words, "a massive thing." He spent roughly £1,500, with Bitcoin still trading below $4 at the time. The coins were held on Intersango, one of the earliest exchanges to offer pound-based Bitcoin trading in the UK. Intersango began in early 2011 as Britcoin before operating under the Intersango name, supporting Bitcoin trading against pounds, dollars, euros and Polish zloty before GBP and USD trading stopped in late 2012 and the website went offline by early 2014.

For the next 12 years, Chris watched Bitcoin's price skyrocket but could not retrieve his holdings, as the private keys remained fully controlled by the former operators of Intersango. In 2018, he started receiving emails from Intersango's founders asking former exchange customers to reach out, but he disregarded them as scam attempts. His wife later encouraged him to seek professional help.

A Legal Route to Recovery

Chris instructed CEL Solicitors on 20 January 2026. The case differed from typical stories involving lost wallets or forgotten passwords. The challenge centred on legal ownership rather than technical barriers. Ryan Sweetnam, director of financial litigation at CEL Solicitors, stated that the firm had to prepare documents for US courts, though the case was ultimately resolved through negotiation without a judge's hearing. CEL Solicitors says it completed the recovery in roughly four months without law-enforcement involvement, combining tracing technology with banking documents stretching back almost 15 years.

On 28 May 2026, Chris received all 61 BTC, valued at roughly £3.3 million. According to Chris, he intends to allocate part of the recovered proceeds toward a larger home equipped for a family member with disabilities, while retaining most of his remaining Bitcoin for the long term.

The case may also have wider implications. CEL Solicitors says it identified over 5,500 BTC potentially connected to other former Intersango customers. Claimants need historic bank statements, emails or exchange records demonstrating their individual Bitcoin ownership rights.

Sources:
Man Reclaims $4.4M in Bitcoin 12 Years After Exchange Collapse - Bitcoin.com News
Bitcoin investor recovers $4.5m after 12-year wait - Crypto.news
British Man Becomes Instant Millionaire After Recovering £3.3m in BTC - IBTimes UK