Bitcoin Pizza Day entered its 16th year on May 22, 2026, reigniting conversation around the first known real-world transaction using the cryptocurrency. Developer Laszlo Hanyecz sent 10,000 BTC for two Papa John's pizzas in 2010. At current prices near $77,000, that amount is now worth over $772 million.
How 10,000 BTC bought two pizzas
On May 18, 2010, Hanyecz posted on Bitcointalk offering 10,000 BTC to anyone who would order and deliver two pizzas to his Florida home. Four days later, 19-year-old Jeremy Sturdivant accepted the deal. Bitcoin then traded for under 1 cent, valuing the transaction at roughly $41. Hanyecz wanted to test whether Bitcoin could work for physical goods, not just online transfers among enthusiasts.
In 2010, Bitcoin was a niche software experiment — no public companies held BTC, no ETFs existed, and no institutional custody was available. The pizza trade became the first proof that Bitcoin could leave peer-to-peer testing and exchange for a real product. Sturdivant paid cash for the pizzas, and Hanyecz transferred the 10,000 BTC afterward.
May 22 becomes a crypto tradition
Over the years, May 22 evolved into an unofficial crypto holiday. Exchanges, traders, and blockchain firms launch promotions, host events, and share memes referencing that early purchase. Hanyecz also later contributed to GPU mining, which boosted network processing speed.
Both Hanyecz and Sturdivant later said they had no regrets. Hanyecz noted that spending the coins proved Bitcoin could serve economic purposes beyond being an experimental digital system. The anniversary serves as a reminder of how far Bitcoin has come — from a forum project to a global asset traded via regulated products.
Industry perspective: a turning point
“Bitcoin Pizza Day is far more than a historical novelty; it represents the exact inflection point where digital currency transitioned from abstract theory to real-world economic utility. That 2010 transaction laid the foundational proof of concept for a decentralized medium of exchange, which has since evolved into a multi-trillion-dollar digital asset economy.” — Sumit Gupta, Co-Founder of CoinDCX
On social media this year, users shared price comparisons, pizza-themed memes, and screenshots of the original Bitcointalk post, continuing the yearly tradition. The pizza transaction remains the most iconic early moment in Bitcoin's trajectory from hobbyist project to mainstream financial asset.