On May 22, 2010, Bitcoin became not only an idea, but also real money. Laszlo Hanyecz, a developer and early contributor of the Bitcoin codebase, released a casual offer: “I’m paying 10,000 bitcoins for a few pizzas.” Five days later, someone brought him to it. Two dads John’s pizza were sent out. Screenshots have been posted. Bitcoin has entered the real world.
The 10,000 bitcoins worth about $41 at the time are now worth more than $1.1 billion. And, with Bitcoin at its new all-time high of $111,999 on its 15th anniversary, the story of “Bitcoin Pizza” is bigger than ever.
It’s not just pizza. This is Bitcoin’s prover itself to be a working currency. Prior to this, it lived primarily in theory and code, told by cryptographers and mined by hobbyists. Hanyecz’s position and subsequent trade turned this idea into action. “This transaction made Bitcoin real,” he said in an interview in 2019. “It wasn’t worth much at the time. I wouldn’t spend $100 million on pizza, right? But if I didn’t do that, maybe Bitcoin wouldn’t become so popular.”
In the summer of 2010, Hanyecz continued to use bitcoin to buy pizza, eventually spending more than 79,000 BTC, now worth nearly $8.7 billion. While some people joke, the truth is: Without those early real-world transactions, Bitcoin may never prove its use case. Hanyecz helps move bitcoin from the edge to feature.
Today’s legacy still shapes us. Bitcoin Pizza Day has become a cultural milestone in the crypto world, with parties, pizza parties and educational events held around the world every May 22. This day reminds how far technology has gone, and the importance of daily actions and the impact they have made.
Just this week, fast food chain Steak’N Shake began accepting Bitcoin through the Lightning Network, indicating an increasing wave of mainstream adoption. I once felt that experiments are currently becoming part of daily trade.
Bitcoin Pizza Day is about recognition. A simple deal proves that Bitcoin can work, and 15 years later, the world is still on the basis of the first bite.
