20h05 ▪
4
min read ▪ by
For most of us, May 22nd doesn’t evoke anything special. Yet, for the crypto community, this date marks the advent of bitcoin as a real currency of exchange. Fifteen years ago, two pizzas forever changed the course of global financial history. Today, that legendary order is worth over 1.1 billion dollars. Ready to discover the most expensive bill in history?
In Brief
- On May 22, 2010, Laszlo Hanyecz bought two pizzas for 10,000 BTC, marking the first commercial bitcoin transaction.
- These bitcoins are worth 1.1 billion dollars today, coinciding with BTC’s new record at $111,800.
- In total, Hanyecz spent over 79,000 BTC on pizzas during the summer of 2010, equivalent to 8.7 billion dollars currently.
The Purchase That Changed Bitcoin History
May 22, 2010, will be forever etched in crypto history as the day bitcoin went from computer code to real currency. Laszlo Hanyecz, a passionate developer and contributor to the Bitcoin protocol, posted an announcement on the Bitcointalk forum.
His request seemed ordinary: “I’ll pay 10,000 bitcoins for some pizzas… maybe 2 large ones, so I have some left for the next day,” Laszlo Hanyecz wrote on the Bitcointalk forum, unaware that he would make crypto history.
The developer even specified his culinary tastes:
I like things like onions, peppers, sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes, pepperoni, etc. Just classic ingredients, no weird toppings like fish or anything. I also like classic cheese pizzas, which might be cheaper to make or easier to find.
A few days later, a user accepted the exchange. For 10,000 BTC — about 41 dollars at the time — Hanyecz received two large pizzas from Papa John’s.
This seemingly trivial transaction actually marked a historic turning point: for the first time, bitcoin moved beyond the closed circle of developers to become a real means of payment.
Hanyecz thus turned a technological experiment into tangible money, paving the way for the widespread adoption we see today.
His pizza purchases did not stop on May 22. Between April and August 2010, he spent over 79,000 BTC on various pizzas — a sum now worth nearly 8.7 billion dollars.
A Celebration That Became a Symbol of Crypto Evolution
Fifteen years later, Bitcoin Pizza Day goes beyond mere anecdote. This date has become a key event for the global crypto community.
Every May 22, enthusiasts organize special events, promotions, and gatherings centered around a pizza. This year, the irony of the calendar hits particularly hard. The bitcoin price surpassed $111,800 exactly on the 15th anniversary, paying the greatest possible tribute to this historic transaction.
Hanyecz’s 10,000 BTC are worth 1.1 billion dollars today. Enough to buy more than 70 million pizzas at the current price.
Yet the developer regrets nothing. “This transaction made bitcoin real in my eyes“, he said in 2019.
His philosophy sums up the pioneering spirit of the time: to experiment with a revolutionary technology rather than speculate on its future value. A mindset that paid off for the entire ecosystem.
Today, bitcoin is no longer just for buying pizzas. Satoshi’s invention allows purchasing real estate, vehicles, and even serves as a strategic reserve for some states. The journey since that first purchase reflects growing adoption and market maturity.
In sum, Bitcoin Pizza Day reminds us that the greatest revolutions sometimes arise from the simplest acts. Fifteen years later, this culinary anecdote continues to embody the pioneering spirit that drives the crypto community and bears witness to the progress made by a technology that has become essential.
Maximize your Cointribune experience with our “Read to Earn” program! For every article you read, earn points and access exclusive rewards. Sign up now and start earning benefits.
Passionné par le Bitcoin, j’aime explorer les méandres de la blockchain et des cryptos et je partage mes découvertes avec la communauté. Mon rêve est de vivre dans un monde où la vie privée et la liberté financière sont garanties pour tous, et je crois fermement que Bitcoin est l’outil qui peut rendre cela possible.
DISCLAIMER
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.
