Irish authorities have regained access to a Bitcoin wallet long considered permanently locked, in a rare development that challenges assumptions around lost private keys. The Criminal Assets Bureau confirmed it had seized a wallet containing 500 Bitcoin, now valued at more than $35 million. The funds were linked to a convicted drug dealer and had remained inaccessible for years after the access codes were believed to be lost. The recovery was supported by Europol's European Cybercrime Centre, which provided technical expertise and coordinated efforts across jurisdictions. Role of Europol support The Criminal Assets Bureau said it gained access to the wallet with assistance from Europol, which hosted operational meetings at its headquarters in The Hague.