This anecdote is one of the best known in the world of cryptocurrencies. It happened during the year 2010 and it is still something that invokes comments, jokes and speculation. Furthermore, this is the first commercial transaction involving Bitcoins. That is, the first time BTC was exchanged for a physical product. Although, to be honest, it was more of a trade or a gift than a purchase. Someone who had 10.000 Bitcoins (and never imagined they would be worth so much) He gave away these digital coins in exchange for two delicious pizzas.
The truth is that 10 Bitcoins, now in 2025, are a huge fortune. But, in 2010, it was impossible to predict that Bitcoin would break all imaginable quotations. This happened on May 22nd, and that's why, on that day, the Bitcoin Pizza Day.
There is just under a month left to commemorate the Fifteenth anniversary of this exchange of Bitcoins for a couple of pizzas, an event that has remained in the memory of cryptocurrency enthusiasts and the world over.
PREPARE YOUR WALLETWho were the protagonists of this anecdote?
Two men who did not imagine that they were doing something transcendentalOne of them was hungry and craved pizza. The other willingly agreed to receive 10.000 BTC in exchange for paying the $41 price of the pizza. The names of these two individuals are: Laszlo Hanyecz y Jeremy sturdivant.
- Laszlo Hanyecz: a programmer from Jacksonville, Florida, who was one of those who interacted on forums with the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto. He was therefore one of the first to learn about Bitcoin mining technology. As a hobby, he used his own computer to begin mining this cryptocurrency in 2010. When he accumulated 10 Bitcoins, he didn't know what to do with them; he saw no use for them. So he traded them for a couple of pizzas.
- Jeremy sturdivantIn 2010, he was just 19 years old and living in California. He was a young tech enthusiast and very active in the early forums discussing the "new Bitcoins." On one of those forums, he met Laszlo Hanyecz. They chatted a few times, but the real turning point came when Jeremy Sturdivant read that Hanyecz was offering 10.000 Bitcoins in exchange for someone paying for some pizzas, as he "was too lazy to cook."
Two men, two pizzas and 10 thousand Bitcoins. When Jeremy sturdivant responded to Laszlo Hanyecz, and offered to pay for the pizzas, neither of them knew they were about to star in a momentous event. If Within a few decades, cryptocurrencies will take over the financial world., then these two people will be remembered for eternity, as those who made the first purchase/sale using BTC.
BUY BITCOINHow did this pizza-for-Bitcoin exchange happen?
In a forum about cryptocurrencies (year 2010), Laszlo Hanyecz published the following: “I'll pay 10.000 Bitcoins for a couple of pizzas… two large pizzas, so I have leftovers for the next day. You can make the pizza yourself and bring it to my house, or order it from a pizzeria With home delivery, what I'm looking for is to have food brought to me in exchange for Bitcoins so I don't have to order it or prepare it myself.".
Then, Laszlo Hanyecz He said he liked pizzas: “with onions, peppers, sausages, mushrooms, pepperoni, etc.; standard pizzas, no toppings and no anchovies.” He added that he loved pizzas with lots of cheese.
Journalist Jorge Méndez was Jeremy sturdivant who responded and offered to pay for two pizzas at a Papa John's near the residence of Laszlo Hanyecz, asking for them to be delivered to their home. In total (the two pizzas plus delivery) cost $41. And then Hanyecz said he was “giving away the 10.000 Bitcoins to Sturdivant", since the pair of pizzas that arrived at his house were gigantic, among the most abundant on the Papa John's menu.
That event was recorded in the forum chat, as well as on the Bitcoin blockchain. In fact, it's a big transaction: 10.000 coins. It was literally a gift, since Laszlo Hanyecz believed that the BTC generated by your computer were useless and took up space in your computer's memory. So in 2010 he was happy: he got rid of some Bitcoins he had no use for and in return he enjoyed two exquisite pizzas, overflowing with ingredients.
How much are those 10.000 Bitcoins worth in 2025?
When asked Laszlo Hanyecz If he regrets having given away the 10.000 Bitcoins, he always answers no. But nobody believes him! Every year, Laszlo Hanyecz He has to use a calculator and calculate how much money he would have if he hadn't exchanged his cryptocurrencies for two pizzas.
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Let's start with 2010. How much was Bitcoin worth at that time? Very little! It was only quoted at $0,0035. Therefore, 10 Bitcoins were worth about $35. That is how Laszlo Hanyecz He assumed he was winning: he was getting rid of the Bitcoins, freeing up space on his hard drive, and in the process, he had a $6 advantage (the two pizzas were worth $41).
However, 15 years later, the bitcoin price changed a lot. By early 2025, Bitcoin will average around $83.000. The 10.000 Bitcoins that Laszlo Hanyecz exchanged in 2010 for two pizzas ($41) are now worth 830.000.000 USD (eight hundred and thirty million dollars)). A monstrous fortune!
Therefore, it's very hard to believe that Hanyecz doesn't regret giving away his Bitcoins. On the contrary, he most likely dreams about them every night, and feels a lot of remorse every time he looks at the cheese and mushrooms and inhales the aroma of a pizza. And he may never eat at Papa John's again!
