Bitcoin Pizza Day – A Bite That Changed the World

Every year on May 22, the Bitcoin community celebrates an iconic event that didn’t just satisfy a craving – it also put Bitcoin on the map as a real currency. Bitcoin Pizza Day isn’t just about eating pizza. It’s a symbol of innovation, belief in the future, and the human willingness to try something completely new.

Why Do We Celebrate Bitcoin Pizza Day?

Bitcoin Pizza Day is a reminder of how far Bitcoin has come – from a technical experiment to what is now considered a global financial asset. It’s also a way for the crypto community to come together, reflect, and celebrate Bitcoin as a usable technology, not just speculation.

The Story Behind the Pizza That Started It All

In May 2010, Bitcoin was still in its infancy. A programmer named Laszlo Hanyecz posted on the Bitcointalk forum:

“I’ll pay 10,000 bitcoins for a couple of pizzas… like maybe 2 large ones so I have some left over for the next day."

Bitcoin had no real value yet – but Hanyecz wanted to prove it could function as money. A 19-year-old British guy, Jeremy Sturdivant (alias “jercos”), saw the post and took him up on it. He ordered two Papa John’s pizzas for Hanyecz in Florida – and received 10,000 BTC in exchange.

That was worth around $41 at the time. Today? Over $690 million. Yet neither of them regrets it.

Laszlo Hanyecz – The Bitcoin Pioneer

Laszlo wasn’t just hungry – he was one of Bitcoin’s earliest developers and the first to connect GPU mining to the network, which became crucial for Bitcoin’s technical development. (GPU mining means using graphics cards instead of regular CPUs to mine Bitcoin more quickly and efficiently.)

Laszlo later said:

“It wasn’t like bitcoins had any value back then, so the idea of trading them for a pizza was incredibly cool.”

It wasn’t about investment – it was about proving a concept. In 2018, he also became the first person to buy pizza using the Lightning Network.

Jeremy Sturdivant – The Often-Forgotten Buyer

Jeremy, who was 19 when the deal happened, paid for the pizzas in regular currency and received 10,000 BTC. He spent them within a year – on things like a road trip. No HODLing, no millions. But also no regrets. For him, it was a playful experiment with the future, not a financial plan.

What We Celebrate

Bitcoin Pizza Day is a way to remember when Bitcoin went from a theoretical concept to practical reality. That first real-world transaction showed the world this wasn’t just code – it was money.

BTCX Recommends: Celebrate for Real

• Order a pizza.

• Sit down with a friend, colleague, or stranger curious about Bitcoin.

• Ask: What does Bitcoin mean to you? What can it do for me?