Bitcoin Pizza Day 2025: Crypto Community Marks 15 Years Since Historic $1 Billion Pizza Purchase

On May 22, 2025, the global cryptocurrency community celebrates the 15th anniversary of Bitcoin Pizza Day, a milestone that commemorates the first real-world transaction using Bitcoin. The event traces back to May 22, 2010, when Florida-based programmer Laszlo Hanyecz made history by exchanging 10,000 BTC for two Papa John’s pizzas—a purchase now valued at over $1 billion, given Bitcoin’s current price hovering around $110,911.97 per coin.

The Transaction That Changed Crypto History

In 2010, Bitcoin was still a fledgling digital currency, largely confined to online forums and experimental circles. Hanyecz’s offer, posted on the Bitcointalk forum, was simple: “I’ll pay 10,000 bitcoins for a couple of pizzas… maybe 2 large ones, so I have some left for the next day.” The deal was fulfilled by forum user Jeremy Sturdivant, who ordered the pizzas for Hanyecz and received the now-legendary 10,000 BTC in return.

At the time, the transaction was worth about $41, but its significance far outweighed its monetary value. It marked the first documented use of Bitcoin to purchase a tangible good, demonstrating the cryptocurrency’s potential as a medium of exchange and sparking the rise of crypto commerce.

Laszlo Hanyecz: The Man Behind the Legend

Laszlo Hanyecz was more than just the man behind the pizza order—he was a pioneering Bitcoin developer, credited with creating the first MacOS client and discovering GPU mining, which played a key role in Bitcoin’s early technical development. Remarkably, Hanyecz spent nearly 100,000 BTC on pizza and other items throughout 2010, a sum now worth over $8.6 billion. Despite the staggering value of those coins today, Hanyecz has repeatedly stated he has no regrets, emphasizing that Bitcoin had little value at the time and that the transaction helped prove its real-world utility.

“A trade happens because both parties think they’re getting a good deal. I felt like I was beating the internet, getting free food. I’ll never have to buy food again… my hobby bought me dinner,” Hanyecz reflected in a 2019 interview.

A Global Celebration and Growing Adoption

Bitcoin Pizza Day has evolved into an annual celebration, with events and campaigns worldwide. In 2025, festivities include the Pizza Day Lucky Wheel by MEXC, offering over $100,000 in BTC and tokens, and WOO X’s campaign from May 20-22, where traders can win Bitcoin prizes, including a $1,000 BTC grand prize. Tangem has also released a limited-edition Bitcoin Pizza Day wallet.

The day is marked by increased trading activity and social media engagement. This year, Bitcoin trading volumes surged by 8% in the first 12 hours of May 22, reflecting renewed interest and enthusiasm across the crypto sector. The event serves as a reminder of Bitcoin’s journey from an obscure digital experiment to a globally recognized financial asset, recently reaching new all-time highs above $111,800.

Legacy and Impact

Fifteen years after the original pizza purchase, Bitcoin Pizza Day stands as a symbol of the cryptocurrency’s humble beginnings and its transformative rise. The event highlights how far Bitcoin has come, from being worth fractions of a cent to becoming a multi-trillion dollar asset class. Regulatory advancements, such as the approval of Bitcoin ETFs and the establishment of the U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve in 2024, further underscore Bitcoin’s integration into mainstream finance.

As the crypto community enjoys slices of pizza around the world, Bitcoin Pizza Day continues to inspire reflection on innovation, risk-taking, and the unpredictable journey of digital money from novelty to global phenomenon.