Jon Collins-Black, an early Bitcoin investor turned modern-day treasure master, has announced a daring public challenge: uncover five hidden treasure chests brimming with valuables worth an estimated $2 million to $3 million. Inspired by his own childhood dreams of treasure hunting, Collins-Black spent the past five years meticulously planning this epic hunt.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he began assembling the treasures, which include rare and iconic items such as a Casascius Bitcoin (the first physical Bitcoin), a green Colombian emerald, a 2002 Shining Charizard Pokémon card, antiques from a historic shipwreck, and even George Washington’s jelly glass. Receipts for these items, presented to Business Insider, validate their authenticity.
The chests are buried across the U.S. on public land, making them accessible to anyone with the skills and determination to locate them. Collins-Black has encrypted all necessary clues in his book, There’s Treasure Inside. However, he warns treasure hunters to expect a mental challenge, as the clues are deliberately designed to be complex.
Opening the chests won’t be straightforward either; they are secured as puzzle boxes. While the book provides instructions for opening them, Collins-Black urges finders not to force them, emphasizing the intellectual element of the hunt.
Despite the excitement, the treasure hunt has a finite timeline. Collins-Black, now in his forties, doesn’t want the challenge to become a lingering mystery. If the chests remain undiscovered, he plans to release additional clues in 8 to 10 years, ensuring the hunt concludes within his lifetime.
“If Bitcoin soars to $1 million or the treasures’ value hits $10 million in the future, I’ll celebrate that,” he said. Until then, adventurers must rely on wits, patience, and persistence to claim the ultimate prize in what Collins-Black calls “the greatest treasure hunt in American history.”