Bitcoin Pizza Day: The World's First BTC Transaction — and Bittime Is Celebrating

Every May 22, the crypto world pauses over something as ordinary as two pizzas — and remembers exactly why Bitcoin Pizza Day matters. 

It was the first time BTC was used to pay for something real: a programmer named Laszlo Hanyecz handed over 10,000 BTC for two large pies in 2010, when that sum was worth roughly $41. 

Today, that same amount of Bitcoin exceeds $1 billion. For Bittime users in Indonesia, this year's anniversary carries an extra reason to pay attention — the platform is running its "Road to Bitcoin Pizza Day" campaign with BTC rewards and staking returns worth celebrating.

Key Takeaways

• May 22, 2010 marks the first real-world Bitcoin transaction: Laszlo Hanyecz paid 10,000 BTC (~$41) for two Papa John's pizzas — a sum now worth over $1 billion.
• BTC's price evolution from $0.0041 per coin in 2010 to tens of thousands of dollars per coin in 2026 makes this pizza transaction the single most dramatic illustration of digital asset growth in history.
• Bittime's "Road to Bitcoin Pizza Day" campaign offers active traders BTC rewards worth up to IDR 10 million and a special BTC Staking APY of up to 20% — available on the exchange during the anniversary period.

The Bitcointalk Post That Rewrote Financial History

It started with a forum message. On May 18, 2010, at 12:35 AM Eastern Time, Laszlo Hanyecz — a software programmer based in Florida who had been mining Bitcoin on his personal laptop — posted an offer on the Bitcointalk forum. He wanted two large pizzas. He was willing to pay 10,000 BTC.

His exact words: "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."

At the time, Bitcoin had no established market value. One BTC was priced at roughly $0.0041 — less than half a cent. The full 10,000 BTC came to about $41, barely enough to cover two large Papa John's orders.

Four days later, a 19-year-old forum user named Jeremy Sturdivant — known online as "jercos" — took up the offer. He ordered two Papa John's pizzas for around $25 and had them delivered to Hanyecz's home in Florida. 

Once the pizzas arrived on May 22, 2010, Hanyecz posted a photo of his family enjoying the meal, and that date became permanently fixed in crypto history.

The transaction didn't stop there. Forum records show Hanyecz continued making "bitcoin for pizza" offers through the summer of 2010, finally closing his open offer in August of that year. 

And years later, on February 25, 2018, he made the first-ever retail purchase over the Lightning Network — two more Papa John's pizzas, this time for just 0.00649 BTC. It wasn't nostalgia; it was a statement that Bitcoin as a payment tool was still his conviction.

The First Bitcoin Pizza Price — and Where That Number Stands Today

Two pizzas. $41. 10,000 BTC. These three figures form the most cited data point in the history of digital assets, and their significance compounds with every passing year.

Here's how the value of those 10,000 BTC has grown:

• 2010: ~$41
• 2013: ~$1.2 million
• 2017: ~$22 million
• 2021: ~$600 million
• 2026: over $1 billion

These aren't just headline numbers. They reflect one of the most fundamental truths about emerging technology adoption: early-stage value is almost always invisible until it isn't. 

When Hanyecz posted his offer, Bitcoin had never been used to buy anything tangible. His pizza transaction was, in the most literal sense, the first price Bitcoin ever had in the physical world.

Hanyecz has never expressed regret. In interview after interview, he has said the transaction was something to be proud of — that without someone actually spending Bitcoin on something real, it might have remained a technical curiosity rather than a functioning currency. The pizza purchase helped prove the network worked. Everything else followed from there.

Road to Bitcoin Pizza Day: Bittime's Promo Worth Knowing About

Bitcoin Pizza Day has long outgrown its origins as a forum footnote. Over more than a decade, May 22 has become a genuine focal point for the global crypto community — with pizza parties in hundreds of cities, exchange promotions, and educational campaigns that use the occasion to bring new participants into the ecosystem.

In Indonesia, Bittime — a licensed exchange supervised by OJK (Otoritas Jasa Keuangan) — is marking this year's anniversary with a dedicated campaign called "Road to Bitcoin Pizza Day." The program has two concrete components worth highlighting:

1. Trade and Win BTC Rewards Up to IDR 10 Million Users who actively trade on Bittime during the campaign period are eligible for BTC prize rewards worth up to IDR 10 million. The more actively you trade, the greater your chance of qualifying — making this a meaningful incentive for both regular traders and those looking to increase their BTC exposure around the anniversary date.

2. BTC Staking APY Up to 20% Alongside the trading competition, Bittime is offering a special BTC Staking rate of up to 20% APY during the Bitcoin Pizza Day campaign period. To put that in context, standard BTC staking returns outside promotional windows typically range between 5–7% APY. The 20% figure represents a significant short-term yield opportunity for users willing to lock their BTC during the promo.

To participate, users need a verified (KYC-complete) Bittime account. Full terms, conditions, and campaign dates are available at support.bittime.com.

This kind of anniversary activation does something more than offer incentives — it connects the original spirit of Bitcoin Pizza Day (proving that Bitcoin has real, usable value) to a practical step that investors can take right now.

Conclusion

Two pizzas ordered on a Florida afternoon in 2010 gave Bitcoin its first real price tag. Laszlo Hanyecz didn't just buy lunch — he demonstrated that a decentralized digital currency could work as actual money, a proof of concept that unlocked everything that followed over the next sixteen years.

Every time Bitcoin sets a new all-time high, the pizza story resurfaces — not to mock the decision, but to mark how far the technology has traveled. For Bittime users, this year's Bitcoin Pizza Day is also an opportunity to put that history to work: earn BTC rewards up to IDR 10 million through active trading, or grow your holdings with a 20% APY BTC Staking offer through the "Road to Bitcoin Pizza Day" program running on the platform.

FAQ

When is Bitcoin Pizza Day celebrated? Bitcoin Pizza Day is observed annually on May 22, marking the anniversary of the first real-world Bitcoin transaction that took place on May 22, 2010.

Who is Laszlo Hanyecz? Laszlo Hanyecz is a Florida-based software programmer who became the first person to use Bitcoin for a real-world commercial purchase, paying 10,000 BTC for two Papa John's pizzas in May 2010 — a sum worth roughly $41 at the time.

How much were the 10,000 BTC worth at the time of the pizza transaction? In May 2010, 10,000 BTC equaled approximately $41, as one BTC was priced at $0.0041 — less than half a US cent.

What is that same amount of BTC worth today? As of 2026, 10,000 BTC is worth over $1 billion, making the pizza purchase the most expensive food transaction in recorded history.

Does Laszlo Hanyecz regret the transaction? No — Hanyecz has consistently stated he is proud of the purchase and believes it was a critical moment in proving that Bitcoin could function as a real medium of exchange, not just a technical experiment.

What is Bittime's "Road to Bitcoin Pizza Day" promo? Bittime's campaign offers two incentives: BTC trading rewards worth up to IDR 10 million for active traders, and a special BTC Staking rate of up to 20% APY during the campaign period. Full details are available at support.bittime.com.

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