Bitcoin Pizza Day — how two pizzas for 10,000 BTC became the most expensive lunch in history

It was on this day that an event took place which, year after year, reminds us all that sometimes the most absurd decisions can become legendary. We are talking about Bitcoin Pizza Day — the day when someone gave away 10,000 BTC for two pizzas. And yes, this is not a joke.

To understand what happened back then and how it all unfolded, let’s travel back to May 2010 and immerse ourselves in the atmosphere of that time.

Steve Jobs presented the first iPad from Apple, and the world was only just beginning to get acquainted with tablets… The young and ambitious Google Chrome browser released its first version of extensions… People took photos on cameras with a resolution of a few megapixels and considered it the height of progress… YouTube looked like a promising start-up, while Facebook still resembled a student website… In Iceland, the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano paralysed air travel across Europe…

And almost at the same time, on the other side of the world, somewhere in Florida, programmer Laszlo Hanyecz was sitting in front of his computer late in the evening and writing a message on the Bitcointalk forum.

At the time, it sounded almost like a joke. The world did not yet know the word “crypto billionaire”, and Bitcoin was a strange digital toy for a small group of enthusiasts arguing about the future of money somewhere deep in the forums. No one cared about the crypto price, and many people saw the very idea of “digital money without a bank” as science fiction.

If you look at the Bitcoin price now, that “dinner” cost almost a billion dollars. But back in 2010, it was simply the first real purchase made with cryptocurrency. No grand gesture, no hype — just a hungry programmer who wanted to eat. And it became history.

Let’s look at how it all began, why it matters, and how much those two pizzas would cost if they were bought today.

How it happened: the story from 2010

On 18 May 2010, a post appeared on the Bitcointalk forum from a user called Laszlo Hanyecz. He wrote something along these lines:

Reading this now, you simply cannot believe it. 10,000 BTC for two pizzas? Seriously? But back then, Bitcoin was worth almost nothing. It was an experimental thing that fascinated a small group of tech enthusiasts. No one knew whether this currency would survive at all. The Bitcoin price was symbolic — around $0.004 per coin. In other words, 10,000 BTC was worth approximately $41 at the time.

A few days later — on 22 May — a guy who agreed was found. It turned out to be Jeremy Sturdivant, known as jercos, who ordered two Papa John’s pizzas in Jacksonville, Florida, and delivered them to Laszlo. The deal happened. The first real purchase with Bitcoin was completed.

Laszlo later said that he simply wanted to prove that Bitcoin could be used as real money. Not for speculation, not for investment, but to buy something real. For example, pizza. He achieved that goal. Cryptocurrency stopped being an abstraction and became a medium of exchange.

Jeremy sold those 10,000 BTC less than a year later for $400. At the time, it seemed like a success to him, because he received 10 times more than he had spent. But if he had waited just a little longer…

How much are those pizzas worth now?

This is where things get really interesting. Let’s see how the value of those legendary 10,000 BTC changed over the years.

Note: the price is shown according to data from CoinGecko.

When you look at these numbers, it feels slightly terrifying. In 2021, those pizzas were worth around $385.5 million. In 2024 — already more than $700 million. And now, in May 2026, it is almost a billion dollars.

The most expensive lunch in human history. And not even in a Michelin restaurant.

Does Laszlo regret it?

He is asked this question constantly. And every time he answers more or less the same way: no, he does not regret it. Because at the time, it made sense. Bitcoin needed to be used in order to prove its value. If everyone had simply held the coins and bought nothing, cryptocurrency would have remained a toy for geeks.

Laszlo did something important. He showed that Bitcoin was not just code on a computer, but something for which you could receive a real product. Without him, perhaps there would not be the kind of excitement around cryptocurrency that we see today.

But he does not regret it. At least, that is what he says in interviews. And we believe him. Because without that crazy decision, Bitcoin might never have become what it is today.

How Bitcoin Pizza Day is celebrated

Every 22 May, the crypto community holds a real celebration. Some people order pizza with Bitcoin, if the service accepts cryptocurrency, some simply remember Laszlo’s story, and some make memes. Jokes appear on social media such as:

Some crypto exchanges and companies run promotions: trading discounts, Bitcoin Pizza Day NFT giveaways, and prize competitions. The Trustee Plus team, for example, regularly reminds its users about this date, because it is part of history that must not be forgotten.

Why does it matter? Because Bitcoin Pizza Day is not just a funny story. It is a reminder that cryptocurrency was created not for speculation, but for use. Satoshi Nakamoto wanted to create digital money that could be used for payments without banks or intermediaries. And Laszlo was the first to do it.

What has changed since 2010?

If you compare 2010 and 2026, it feels like two different universes.

Back then:

• • Bitcoin was worth almost nothing.
  • No one knew whether it would survive at all.
  • Buying anything with cryptocurrency was almost impossible.
  • The community consisted of a few hundred techies on a forum.

Now:

• • Bitcoin is one of the most expensive assets in the world.
  • Institutional investors buy BTC by the billions.
  • Crypto cards, crypto wallets with IBANs, payments in shops — all of this is reality.
  • Millions of people around the world use cryptocurrency every day.

Laszlo wanted to buy pizza and showed that it was possible. Today, you can buy a car or property with Bitcoin, or pay for education and travel. Trustee Plus, for example, allows you to spend cryptocurrency through an ordinary Visa card — you simply convert Bitcoin into euros and pay in any shop.

The technology has come an incredible way. And it all began with two pizzas.

Conclusion: a celebration that reminds us of what matters

Bitcoin Pizza Day is not just a date in the calendar. It is a symbol. A reminder that even the ideas that seem most senseless at first can change the world. That risk is part of progress. And that sometimes the best investments are not the ones you kept, but the ones you used.

So order pizza today. With fiat, with cryptocurrency, with anything. The main thing is to remember this story. And perhaps in 15 years, someone will write an article about your decision — one that seemed like a small thing, but turned out to be legendary.

P.S. If you have Trustee Plus, be sure to pay for pizza with cryptocurrency today. If you do not have it yet, this is a good reason to finally register and join this celebration. Let it be a small celebration in honour of the day when Bitcoin became real money.