“I just told people I wanted a Pizza, and I wanted to pay with Bitcoin” –Laszlo Hanyecz.

What if you put 10,000 BTC  on two pizzas? That might seem hard to believe. In 2010, Laszlo Hanyecz made what seemed like a routine transaction that became legendary in the crypto community.

When he posted on the Bitcoin Talk forum Pizza for Bitcoins, he had no idea that this request might forever etch his name in history. In a 60 Minutes segment, the story behind “Bitcoin Pizza Day, he reflected on this purchase, saying, “People laugh at that, but at that time, it wasn’t worth anything.”

Today, Bitcoin is worth more than two boxes of pizza thanks to significant adoption, including nation-state discussions of crypto reserves. Still, many people quickly reference this story as Bitcoin’s first real-world use case.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane to see how it all started and why crypto enthusiasts celebrate May 22 as Bitcoin Pizza Day.

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Key takeaways

• Bitcoin Pizza Day, celebrated on May 22nd, commemorates the first known real-world Bitcoin transaction
• This transaction was proof that Bitcoin could be used as money
• Bitcoin Pizza Day is the traditional day of global celebration for crypto enthusiasts
• Laszlo Hanyecz’s transaction created a legendary meme for the crypto community
• The story of Pizza Day makes it easy for beginners to learn about the value of Bitcoin
• Pizza Day is a nod to the crypto pioneers and other early crypto believers 
• The day is a reminder of Bitcoin’s evolution from an obscure coin to the dominant cryptocurrency.

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The Bitcoin Pizza Day story🍕

All this started in 2010 when a programmer and early Bitcoin miner, Laszlo Hanyecz, wanted to prove that Bitcoin could be used for real-world purchases.  With his mission planned out, he posted on a Bitcoin forum, offering 10,000 BTC to anyone willing to deliver two large pizzas.

At the time, hardly anyone paid attention to Bitcoin, trading at $0.0041, and 10,000 BTC was worth about $41—just another internet curiosity that many had labeled a passing cloud. 

A fellow crypto enthusiast from Britain accepted his proposal, and on May 22, 2010, Laszlo got his pizzas. 

Capturing the moment, Laszlo enthusiastically posted: “ I just want to report that I successfully traded 10,000 bitcoins for pizza”.

The rest, as they say, is history.

This event laid the stage for one of Bitcoin’s most important days. That simple transaction became the first recorded instance of Bitcoin used to buy something tangible. Talk about freezing a moment in history!

Today, Bitcoin has skyrocketed in value. Those same 10,000 BTC are now worth millions of dollars and will make one a Bitcoin whale, able to move markets. That’s not just an expensive meal—it’s probably the priciest meal ever paid for in hindsight.

But Bitcoin Pizza Day isn’t just about the two pizzas or how much; this amount is currently worth more. It symbolizes how Bitcoin went from a novel idea driven by computer nerds to a worldwide phenomenon where the average Joe could understand how it operates and why it promises to revolutionize the centralized financial system.

For crypto veterans who have believed in the idea since the Satoshi days, it’s a nostalgic nod to what this meant, moving beyond the theory to real-world applications. For newcomers, it’s a perfect introduction to the Bitcoin world—a user case and a lesson in long-term thinking.

As a commemoration, every year, on May 22nd, the crypto community celebrates Bitcoin Pizza Day to honor the past and imagine what’s next. Because if there’s one thing Bitcoin has proven, it’s that the future is anything but predictable.

Six reasons why Bitcoin’s Pizza Day is important

1. Proof that Bitcoin is money

Looking back, this wasn’t just a guy looking at buying pizza—he was on a mission to prove that Bitcoin could be used in the real world as money. What better way than to purchase something that many could relate to? With hindsight, this was a small step for himself but a giant leap for the Bitcoin community. 

2. A day of global celebration

Annually, on May 22nd, the crypto world marks Bitcoin Pizza Day in various ways: through community events, discounts, and, naturally, lots of pizza. 

It’s a fun way to look back at Bitcoin’s beginnings while celebrating how far it has come.

🌎Want to learn more about Bitcoin’s history? Satoshi’s Dream Realized: The History of Bitcoin

3. For the culture and memes

What’s Bitcoin without its culture and memes? This event created an avalanche of jokes, debates, and memes. Some express regrets, while others marvel at this day. It’s a classic “what if” story. Hindsight might make it seem like a painful trade, but Bitcoin wouldn’t be where it is today without early adopters testing the waters.

4. An easy introduction to Bitcoin

For newcomers, Bitcoin Pizza Day is a perfect introduction to the cryptocurrency world. It explains Bitcoin’s history, how digital currency works, and why decentralized finance matters—all through the simple, relatable lens of pizza.

5.  An appreciation for early adopters

Laszlo Hanyecz was among a group of early adopters experimenting with Bitcoin and believing in its’ ideal, as explained by Satoshi Nakamoto in his whitepaper Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System.

Without them, testing, mining, explaining, and, in some instances, facing ridicule, the progress we celebrate today might never have been realized.

6.  A reminder of Bitcoin’s evolution

That pizza purchase was part of Bitcoin’s earliest real-world test—an era of experimentation driven by a need to move away from the conventional way of doing things. Looking back, it’s a testament to how much the crypto space has evolved and why, perhaps, it’s still early to buy Bitcoin, and maybe just HODling pays handsomely in the long term.

And if nothing else, while you take a bite of your favorite Pizza, remember that each slice carries tributes to that pioneering day.