Digital Decay: Even Veterans Can Be Betrayed by Time

Facing seasoned traders who have experienced multiple bull and bear markets, Howells issues a warning about "Digital Decay." He points out that wallets created between 2013 and 2015, if not regularly tested for recovery, could have assets permanently locked due to hard drive aging or software format updates. He recommends investors follow the "3-2-1 Backup" rule—three copies, two types of media, one offline—and regularly verify whether the mnemonic phrase can fully restore the assets.

This warning is not unfounded. Howells' 8,000 Bitcoins, buried after his hard drive was discarded, ultimately sealed both legally and physically, exemplifying the extreme vulnerability of digital assets.