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Business Mayor
23-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Bitcoin Pizza Day: 15 Years Since 10,000 BTC Bought Two Pizzas and Changed Everything
On May 22, 2010, Bitcoin became more than just an idea—it became real money. Laszlo Hanyecz, a developer and early contributor to Bitcoin's codebase, posted a casual offer: 'I'll pay 10,000 bitcoins for a couple of pizzas.' Five days later, someone took him up on it. Two Papa John's pizzas were delivered. A screenshot was posted. Bitcoin had entered the real world. That 10,000 Bitcoin, worth about $41 at the time, is now valued at over $1.1 billion. And with Bitcoin hitting a new all-time high of $111,999 on the 15th anniversary of the transaction, the story of the 'Bitcoin Pizza' carries more weight than ever. It wasn't just about the pizza. This was the moment Bitcoin proved itself as a functioning currency. Until then, it had lived mostly in theory and code—talked about by cryptographers and mined by hobbyists. Hanyecz's post, and the trade that followed, transformed the idea into action. 'This transaction made Bitcoin real in my eyes,' he said in a 2019 interview. 'It wasn't worth much at the time. I wouldn't have spent $100 million on pizza, right? But if I hadn't done that, maybe Bitcoin wouldn't have become so popular.' Over the summer of 2010, Hanyecz continued using Bitcoin to buy pizzas, eventually spending more than 79,000 BTC—now worth nearly $8.7 billion. While some have joked at his expense, the truth is this: without those early real-world transactions, Bitcoin might never have proven its use case. Hanyecz helped move Bitcoin from the fringe into functionality. That legacy still shapes us today. Bitcoin Pizza Day has become a cultural milestone in the crypto world, with meetups, pizza parties, and educational events held globally each May 22. The day serves as a reminder of how far the technology has come—and the importance of everyday actions and the impact they have. Just this week, fast food chain Steak 'n Shake began accepting Bitcoin via the Lightning Network, signaling a growing wave of mainstream adoption. What once felt experimental is now becoming part of everyday commerce. Bitcoin Pizza Day is about recognition. One simple transaction proved that Bitcoin could work—and 15 years later, the world is still building on that first bite. READ SOURCE
Economic Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
How Two Pizzas Created a Domino Effect, Building a Trillion-Dollar Asset
Proof of Concept Early Adoption of Bitcoin Live Events Conclusion (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel In May 2010, a Florida-based programmer named Laszlo Hanyecz made history by spending 10,000 Bitcoins to buy two Papa John's pizzas. Valued at just $41 at the time, this seemingly small purchase is now worth over $1 billion today, making the 2 pizzas the costliest pizzas in history, earning it the nickname 'billion-dollar pizzas'. But more than just a quirky anecdote, this transaction marked the first real-world use of Bitcoin, a moment now celebrated globally as Bitcoin Pizza Day Fifteen years later, Bitcoin has evolved from a fringe digital experiment to a globally recognised asset class, with institutional backing, government interest, and a market cap of over $2 trillion. Let's explore the remarkable journey of Bitcoin, from that first pizza order to becoming a cornerstone of the digital financial making the Bitcoin Pizza transaction, Laszlo Hanyecz had no idea that it would change the entire financial system. This transaction provided proof of concept that Bitcoin could become a real-world alternative for fiat currencies. There were no exchanges, no real utility, and no mainstream attention. The transaction demonstrated that Bitcoin could be used as a medium of exchange, proving its potential to function like traditional money. What started as a simple craving for pizza laid the foundation for something much bigger, which validated the idea that digital assets could hold real-world value and be used in everyday the early years following the Bitcoin Pizza transaction, not much had changed. However, the latter half saw a sudden boom in innovation, leading to the establishment of exchanges like Mt. Gox, allowing users to trade Bitcoin for fiat currencies. Innovations in digital wallets and mining software also improved accessibility. This made the use of Wallets easier and made Bitcoin a tradable asset. Although prices remained volatile, this period laid the groundwork for Bitcoin's entry into broader public consciousness. By 2013, Bitcoin crossed $1,000, gaining interest from speculators and tech-savvy Increasing Institutional and Government InterestThe true turning point came in 2017, when Bitcoin's price skyrocketed past $20,000, capturing global headlines. This dramatic rise drew global media attention and sparked interest from financial institutions. Multiple applications for Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) were filed, but the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) repeatedly rejected them, citing concerns around market a long wait, in early 2024, the SEC approved 11 proposals from issuers, including BlackRock, Fidelity and VanEck, among others, to launch spot bitcoin ETFs. While futures-based ETFs had already been in existence for a few years, this approval from the SEC is what led to true mass adoption of Bitcoin, bringing in over $106 billion in inflows since its with asset management companies, corporate institutions like Strategy (Previously MicroStrategy), Tesla, MetaPlanet, and many more have also started accumulating Bitcoin as a strategic reserve, showing the growing interest in Bitcoin, further improving its trigger that made Bitcoin a trillion-dollar asset is the government's interest in the asset as a store of value. Today, after years of evolution, major economies like the US, Brazil, and other countries are actively considering setting up a 'Bitcoin Strategic Reserve' just the Gold and forex. This intent from governments has increased the legitimacy of Bitcoin and crypto as an asset class, pushing Bitcoin's price towards new all-time being traded for two pizzas to becoming a multi-trillion-dollar asset, Bitcoin's journey over the past 15 years is nothing short of extraordinary. It has challenged traditional financial systems, democratized access to wealth creation, and inspired a new generation of investors and innovators. While challenges remain, particularly around regulation, scalability, and public understanding, Bitcoin Pizza Day serves as a powerful reminder of how a single transaction can spark a financial revolution. As we commemorate 15 years of this iconic event, it's clear that Bitcoin is no longer just a speculative asset. It's a globally accepted financial tool, set to shape the future of article is attributed to Mr Edul Patel, Co-founder and CEO of Mudrex, a global crypto investment platform.: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times)
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
How Two Pizzas Created a Domino Effect, Building a Trillion-Dollar Asset
In May 2010, a Florida-based programmer named Laszlo Hanyecz made history by spending 10,000 Bitcoins to buy two Papa John's pizzas. Valued at just $41 at the time, this seemingly small purchase is now worth over $1 billion today, making the 2 pizzas the costliest pizzas in history, earning it the nickname 'billion-dollar pizzas'. But more than just a quirky anecdote, this transaction marked the first real-world use of Bitcoin, a moment now celebrated globally as Bitcoin Pizza Day . Fifteen years later, Bitcoin has evolved from a fringe digital experiment to a globally recognised asset class, with institutional backing, government interest, and a market cap of over $2 trillion. Let's explore the remarkable journey of Bitcoin, from that first pizza order to becoming a cornerstone of the digital financial revolution. Proof of Concept Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. While making the Bitcoin Pizza transaction, Laszlo Hanyecz had no idea that it would change the entire financial system. This transaction provided proof of concept that Bitcoin could become a real-world alternative for fiat currencies. There were no exchanges, no real utility, and no mainstream attention. The transaction demonstrated that Bitcoin could be used as a medium of exchange, proving its potential to function like traditional money. What started as a simple craving for pizza laid the foundation for something much bigger, which validated the idea that digital assets could hold real-world value and be used in everyday commerce. Crypto Tracker TOP COIN SETS BTC 50 :: ETH 50 4.60% Buy DeFi Tracker 4.06% Buy Smart Contract Tracker 2.38% Buy Web3 Tracker 1.21% Buy NFT & Metaverse Tracker -0.31% Buy TOP COINS (₹) Bitcoin 9,546,393 ( 3.79% ) Buy BNB 58,529 ( 3.49% ) Buy Ethereum 226,032 ( 2.14% ) Buy XRP 207 ( 1.59% ) Buy Tether 86 ( 0.16% ) Buy Early Adoption of Bitcoin Did you Know? The world of cryptocurrencies is very dynamic. Prices can go up or down in a matter of seconds. Thus, having reliable answers to such questions is crucial for investors. View Details » In the early years following the Bitcoin Pizza transaction, not much had changed. However, the latter half saw a sudden boom in innovation, leading to the establishment of exchanges like Mt. Gox, allowing users to trade Bitcoin for fiat currencies. Innovations in digital wallets and mining software also improved accessibility. This made the use of Wallets easier and made Bitcoin a tradable asset. Although prices remained volatile, this period laid the groundwork for Bitcoin's entry into broader public consciousness. By 2013, Bitcoin crossed $1,000, gaining interest from speculators and tech-savvy investors. Live Events The Increasing Institutional and Government Interest The true turning point came in 2017, when Bitcoin's price skyrocketed past $20,000, capturing global headlines. This dramatic rise drew global media attention and sparked interest from financial institutions. Multiple applications for Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) were filed, but the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) repeatedly rejected them, citing concerns around market manipulation. After a long wait, in early 2024, the SEC approved 11 proposals from issuers, including BlackRock, Fidelity and VanEck, among others, to launch spot bitcoin ETFs. While futures-based ETFs had already been in existence for a few years, this approval from the SEC is what led to true mass adoption of Bitcoin, bringing in over $106 billion in inflows since its inception. Along with asset management companies, corporate institutions like Strategy (Previously MicroStrategy), Tesla, MetaPlanet, and many more have also started accumulating Bitcoin as a strategic reserve, showing the growing interest in Bitcoin, further improving its adoption. Another trigger that made Bitcoin a trillion-dollar asset is the government's interest in the asset as a store of value. Today, after years of evolution, major economies like the US, Brazil, and other countries are actively considering setting up a 'Bitcoin Strategic Reserve' just the Gold and forex. This intent from governments has increased the legitimacy of Bitcoin and crypto as an asset class, pushing Bitcoin's price towards new all-time highs. Conclusion From being traded for two pizzas to becoming a multi-trillion-dollar asset, Bitcoin's journey over the past 15 years is nothing short of extraordinary. It has challenged traditional financial systems, democratized access to wealth creation, and inspired a new generation of investors and innovators. While challenges remain, particularly around regulation, scalability, and public understanding, Bitcoin Pizza Day serves as a powerful reminder of how a single transaction can spark a financial revolution. As we commemorate 15 years of this iconic event, it's clear that Bitcoin is no longer just a speculative asset. It's a globally accepted financial tool, set to shape the future of money. This article is attributed to Mr Edul Patel, Co-founder and CEO of Mudrex, a global crypto investment platform. ( Disclaimer : Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times)
