A Reddit user told an unusual story this Monday (13). After buying a book at a second-hand exchange, the Brit claims to have found a 12-word seed phrase that gives access to a Bitcoin wallet.
Apparently the original owner must have written the words on a piece of paper as a backup and kept them in the appropriate book. Ultimately, however, he forgot to remove the paper before selling his books.
Another possibility is that the amount is actually a prize for whoever finds it. For example, Brazilians hid a seed phrase in a 50 reais note in the hope that someone would exchange the amount. To date, the balance remains intact and other investors have already made more donations to the address.
British man finds fraction of Bitcoin hidden in second-hand book
According to a report from HypnotizeD_X, this book was purchased along with other books at a used car show, where people park their cars to sell a wide variety of products. New to the world of cryptocurrencies, the lucky reader did not know what to do with the amount.
“I found a seed phrase. And now? I’ll start by saying I’m new to cryptocurrencies”the story begins. “I bought a lot of things, including some books, at a second-hand fair. While leafing through one of the books, I found what appears to be a seed phrase on a separate paper note.”
The lucky reader then asks other Reddit users whether he should keep the bitcoins or look for the real owner of the amount. However, he points out that he doesn’t know how to follow such an investor.
“Is this a fair game? Or do I have a moral obligation to find the owner? Is there any way to trace the owner? I don’t really know what to think about it.”
After some tips, the Brit indicated that he will transfer a small amount to another address in order to attract the attention of the real owner. In any case, the reader noted that the seed phrase gave access to only a fraction of Bitcoin, that is, a small amount.
“Unfortunately not [fiquei milionário]”HypnotizeD_X responded to another investor. “The wallet contained 258 pounds sterling (R$1,570). I don’t think I’ll bother finding the owner. As others have suggested, I will send a small amount in the hope that the owner will be notified.”
Finally, while having a backup of your wallet on a piece of paper is a good option, history reminds us that we need to be careful about where we store these types of passwords. After all, anyone who has access to it can also move their cryptocurrencies.
Another similar and famous story is that of fellow countryman James Howells. While cleaning his office, the investor accidentally threw his hard drive containing more than 8,000 bitcoins (R$1.4 billion) into the trash. Ten years later, the Brit is still trying to get permission to dig out the dump in search of his treasure.
Source: Live Coins
Barry Siefert is an accomplished journalist and author at The Nation View. He is known for his expertise in the field of cryptocurrency, and has written extensively on the topic. With a background in finance and economics, Barry has a deep understanding of the underlying technology and market forces that drive the crypto industry.
