Photograph: Ina Fassbender/AFP via GettyGardaí have seized bitcoin, a cryptocurrency, valued at an estimated €30 million, that had been previously inaccessible. The codes to the virtual wallets were lost, having been stored in a fishing rod case, locking out gardaí. As the virtual currency increased in value, Collins decided it would be safer to disperse his growing fortune across multiple virtual wallets that hold the cryptocurrency. He created 12 wallets for storing the bitcoin and recorded the codes, or digital keys, for each in a document. In late 2020, Collins surrendered assets worth €1.2 million to the State as they were the proceeds of crime.

Source: The Irish Times March 25, 2026 04:13 UTC