Bitcoin Pizza Day 2025: 15 Years of a Transaction That Changed the Financial World
since one of the most iconic transactions in cryptocurrency history — the purchase of two pizzas for 10,000 BTC, worth more than $1.1 billion at current exchange rates. The transaction was more than just a meal; it was the first step in taking Bitcoin out of the code and into economic reality.
-The Tale of the Two “World’s Most Expensive” Pizzas
On May 18, 2010, Laszlo Hanyecz, a programmer and early Bitcoin miner in Florida, posted a strange request on the BitcoinTalk forum: he wanted to buy two large pizzas and was willing to pay 10,000 BTC for the meal.
In his post, Hanyecz requested sausage, mushrooms, pepperoni, onions, peppers, and no fish. After a few days of discussion, on May 22, he announced that he had successfully purchased two pizzas from Papa John's, paid for with Bitcoin through a user named Jeromy Sturdivant — a 19-year-old student from California.
At the time, 10,000 BTC was worth about $41.
From Two Pizzas to a Legend
To many, Hanyecz had “missed his luck” by spending what is now worth billions of dollars in Bitcoin on pizza. However, he had a completely different view:
“I don’t see it as a waste. On the contrary, it was a valuable opportunity to turn a hobby into something meaningful — I used Bitcoin to buy something in the real world.”
For his part, Jeromy Sturdivant – the recipient of 10,000 BTC – said he used all of the coins to... go on a trip with his girlfriend when Bitcoin was around $400/BTC. He has no regrets and sees himself as part of a major turning point in crypto history:
“I know I’m making history. If I don’t do it, someone else will.”
Pizza, Lightning Network, and the Journey Beyond
Hanyecz didn’t stop there. In 2018, he made waves again when he became the first person to use the Lightning Network — a Bitcoin scaling solution — to buy pizza, further proving that Bitcoin can be used for real-world payments.
Bitcoin Believers’ Holiday
Bitcoin Pizza Day is now more than just a humorous celebration. It is a symbol of belief in the potential of blockchain technology, a testament to the beginning of an era of decentralized finance.
In 2025, the global community continued to celebrate this event with many activities:
Isabella Santos, founder of BTC Isla, celebrated by buying pizza with Bitcoin on the island of Isla Mujeres (Mexico) — where she is supporting more than 17 local businesses to accept BTC payments.
On the social network X (Twitter), ZeroHedge likened: "These two Papa John's pizzas are now almost equal to the market capitalization of the Papa John's brand itself."
From joke to icon
The public once ridiculed Hanyecz as a "man who spent millions on pizza". But over time, the story has changed. He is no longer a laughing stock, but is considered a legend — the first person to bring Bitcoin out of the "source code" and into a currency with real value.
One comment on BitcoinTalk read:
"If he hadn't bought that pizza and held 10,000 BTC, he would have $5 million! How cool!"
Another replied:
"Not necessarily. It's the circulation of Bitcoin that creates value. If no one buys pizza, Bitcoin will be useless forever."
15 Years Later: Bitcoin Is Money — Not Just an Asset
This year's Bitcoin Pizza Day is not just a nostalgic occasion, but also a re-emphasis on Satoshi Nakamoto's core goal: Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer payment system, without intermediaries, that can be used as real money.
Laszlo Hanyecz isn't as rich as the "BTC holders" who are still around, but he was the first to prove that Bitcoin can be used to exchange value — something that laid the foundation for the entire cryptocurrency economy we know today.
