I guess I will have to explain the long story.
I did have his email address and spent 3 years communicating with him, the last time was in 2020. At this time, BTC trading with other people's money was illegal without a license as he was based in North America. He was extremely sensitive to this and would often change his contact details (I'd been through two of his already)
The only other person who knew him was a friend, who I believe, died from Covid complications.
So yes, I agree with all of your answers.It was a stupid thing to do. Its really a shot in the dark and maybe I should just abandon the chase.
Do any of you know which tracing firms I might be able to use ?
Thanks in advance
That it was a stupid thing to do is already sufficiently established, but how did you end up trying to iron things out only 4 years later after your last communication? That makes the shot even darker.
Just the same, however, if the amount is worth fighting for, then by all means exhaust all possibilities first before abandoning the chase.
It would be better if you share the address here. Some might be able to contribute a little help, in establishing whether the address is coming from an exchange, for example, or which particular exchange. Or better yet, you might want to consult authorities about it. Please know that there are also numerous scams offering tracing, recovery, investigations, and other related services.