Crypto history, told plainly
Bitcoin Pizza Day: the most famous pizza in history
In May of 2010, a programmer offered 10,000 brand new bitcoin for two large pizzas. Somebody took the deal. Here is how the most famous dinner in crypto history changed everything, and why the whole world orders pizza every May 22.
Reviewed and current as of September 12, 2026
01The offer
In May of 2010, Bitcoin was barely a year old and only a small circle of enthusiasts knew it existed. Laszlo Hanyecz was a programmer in Florida and one of the earliest people mining it. He had an idea for the network's first real test: dinner. On May 18 he posted on the Bitcointalk forum, offering 10,000 bitcoin to anyone who would order two large pizzas and have them delivered to his house. That was the whole proposal: real food, delivered, paid for in digital money.
02The trade
For a few days, nothing happened. Ten thousand bitcoin was worth about $41 at the time, and the whole experiment still felt like a long shot. Then, on May 22, a 19 year old named Jeremy Sturdivant, known on the forum as jercos, took him up on it. He ordered two pizzas from Papa John's, had them delivered to Laszlo's house, and received 10,000 BTC in return. Laszlo confirmed it in the thread: "I just want to report that I successfully traded 10,000 bitcoins for pizza." The first documented purchase of a physical good with Bitcoin was official.
03What those coins became
At the time, the trade looked perfectly ordinary: two pizzas for about $41 worth of brand new internet money. As Bitcoin's price grew, the math turned into legend. At famous price peaks the two pizzas would have been worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and every May the tally gets recalculated and shared across the community. None of that changes the heart of the story: in 2010, ten thousand coins bought exactly two pizzas, and that was their fair value that day.
04A holiday is born
The community started marking May 22 as Bitcoin Pizza Day, and the tradition stuck. Every year, Bitcoiners order pizza, retell the story, and introduce the next wave of newcomers to where it all started. Pizzerias run promotions, companies give away slices, and the celebration doubles as a birthday for Bitcoin commerce. It is the community's most beloved tradition, retold like a founding legend.
05Why it matters
Before the pizzas, Bitcoin was a clever idea on the internet. After the pizzas, it was money that bought something. The trade proved that Bitcoin could cross the line from theory to everyday use, and every price quote that followed traces back to that one delivery. A currency is only as real as what people will trade for it, and two large pizzas made it real.
06What it means for you
The pizza story is a friendly reminder that value is a human decision. Bitcoin was worth whatever its community agreed it was worth, and two pizzas were enough to start. Laszlo just wanted dinner, and anyone can start learning the technology the same small way. Start small, stay curious, and give yourself permission to be part of the story while it is still being written.
01What is Bitcoin Pizza Day?
Bitcoin Pizza Day is May 22, the anniversary of the first documented purchase of a physical good with Bitcoin. In 2010, Laszlo Hanyecz traded 10,000 BTC for two pizzas delivered to his house, and the community celebrates it every year.
02Who was Laszlo Hanyecz?
A programmer from Florida and one of Bitcoin's earliest miners. He also contributed to Bitcoin's early software, writing the first program that let people mine with a graphics card. In a 2019 interview he said the pizza trade made bitcoin real for people, and certainly for him.
03Who sent the pizzas?
Jeremy Sturdivant, known on the Bitcointalk forum as jercos. He was 19 at the time, accepted the offer on May 22, 2010, and ordered two Papa John's pizzas delivered to Hanyecz's house in exchange for the 10,000 BTC.
04How much were 10,000 bitcoin worth then?
About $41 in total, less than half a cent per coin. Over the years, as Bitcoin's price rose, the legendary tally grew to hundreds of millions of dollars at peak prices. The point stays the same: in 2010, ten thousand coins bought two pizzas, and that was their fair value that day.
05How is Pizza Day celebrated?
Bitcoiners order pizza every May 22, share the story online, and use it as a gentle introduction for newcomers. Many pizzerias and crypto companies run specials, turning a forum trade from 2010 into a global little holiday.