Why It Matters

At the time, 10,000 BTC felt like pocket change—Bitcoin was trading at just a few cents per coin. But this trade proved that Bitcoin could function as money, not just a cryptographic curiosity. It turned abstract white-paper theory into a tangible, celebratory ritual, spawning a global movement now worth trillions in market cap.

Time Flies: 15 Years Later

As of May 22, 2025, it’s been exactly 15 years since that fateful pizza order. In crypto terms, that’s practically an eternity: networks splintered, altcoins exploded, and Bitcoin itself weathered booms, busts, and regulatory firestorms. Yet each May, we circle back to those two pizzas, reminding ourselves how far we’ve come.

The Price Tag Today

Here’s the kicker: at its all-time high of $111,800 per BTC, those same 10,000 coins would now buy over $1.1 billion worth of pizzas—roughly 70 million slices if you’re still talking Papa John’s. What looked like a quirky side quest in 2010 turns into the most expensive meal in history.

A Slice of Perspective

Bitcoin Pizza Day isn’t just about lamenting lost gains (though there’s plenty of fodder for that). It’s a reminder of the boldness it takes to adopt new tech, of the poetic way small acts can ripple into seismic cultural shifts, and of the exciting unpredictability that keeps us all staring at our price charts. So whether you’re chowing down on pizza today or simply toasting with your favorite crypto podcast on, here’s to 15 years of change—one slice at a time.

Every May 22nd, the world of digital currency pauses to raise a slice in honour of Bitcoin Pizza Day—an annual nod to perhaps the most legendary trade in cryptocurrency history. Back in 2010, Bitcoin was still a back-of-the-envelope experiment, and the idea of buying something "real" with digital coins felt downright futuristic. Fast forward 15 years, and that humble pizza purchase has become the ultimate proof of concept for crypto’s wild ride.

The Origin Story

On May 22, 2010, Florida developer Laszlo Hanyecz made crypto history with a simple forum post on BitcoinTalk:

laszlo · May 22, 2010 19:08:45
"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.
I like having pizza to nibble on later. You can make the pizza yourself and bring it to my house or order it for me from a delivery place, but what I’m aiming for is getting food delivered in exchange for bitcoins where I don’t have to order or prepare it myself, kind of like ordering a ‘breakfast platter’ at a hotel or something, they just bring you something to eat and you’re happy!"

That post sparked the first documented commercial Bitcoin transaction, with another user eventually ordering two Papa John’s pies worth about $41 in U.S. dollars.