10,000 BTC for Pizza: The Billion-Dollar Bite
10,000 BTC for Pizza: The Billion-Dollar Bite
On May 22, 2010, a programmer named Laszlo Hanyecz made history by completing the first documented real-world Bitcoin transaction—buying two pizzas for 10,000 $BTC At the time, Bitcoin was worth less than a cent, making the deal seem trivial. Today, those 10,000 $BTC would be worth hundreds of millions of dollars, turning this into one of the most infamous (and delicious) trades in crypto history.
The Story Behind the Bitcoin Pizza Transaction
Who? Laszlo Hanyecz, an early Bitcoin miner and developer.What? He paid 10,000 BTC for two Papa John’s pizzas.When? May 22, 2010 (now celebrated as Bitcoin Pizza Day).Why? To prove Bitcoin could be used for real-world purchases.
At the time, Bitcoin had no established value, and mining was easy—Hanyecz had mined thousands of BTC using his computer. He posted on the Bitcoin Talk forum, offering 10,000 BTC to anyone who would order him pizza. A user named Jeremy Sturdivant (jercos) took the deal, buying two pizzas for about $25 at the time.
The Billion-Dollar Lesson
Then (2010): 10,000 BTC ≈ $25 (or ~$0.0025 per BTC).Peak (2021): 10,000 BTC ≈ $690 million (at $69,000/BTC).Today (2024): 10,000 BTC ≈ $600+ million (at ~$60,000/BTC).
Hanyecz has said he doesn’t regret the transaction, as it helped demonstrate Bitcoin’s utility. He later spent even more BTC on pizza—reportedly over 100,000 $BTC in total!
Bitcoin Pizza Day Celebrations
Every year on May 22, the crypto community celebrates Bitcoin Pizza Day, with:
Memes about the world’s most expensive pizza.Giveaways and promotions by crypto exchanges.Discussions on Bitcoin’s journey from $0.0025 to tens of thousands.
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