Two pizzas worth 600 million euros: the crazy story of Bitcoin Pizza Day

It all began on May 18, 2010. Developer Laszlo Hanyecz was feeling a little hungry and had an idea up his sleeve. He posted an unusual message on the Bitcointalk forum: he was offering 10,000 Bitcoins to anyone who would deliver two large pizzas to his address.

Four days later, Jeremy Sturdivan, a 19-year-old student and forum user, took up the challenge. He ordered two pizzas from the famous Papa John’s chain, had them delivered to Laszlo Hanyecz’s home, and collected the cryptocurrency. On May 22, 2010, the first physical purchase made with Bitcoin had just taken place.

A hefty bill

At the time, Bitcoin was worth almost nothing ($0.004). The 10,000 “coins” exchanged were worth barely $40.

Over time, the price skyrocketed to dizzying heights:

• Three months after the 2010 transaction, the 10,000 Bitcoins were worth $600 (or 480 euros);
• in 2013, that same batch was worth $10 million (8 million euros);
• Today, in 2026, those two pizzas are worth nearly $650 million (or 565 million euros! Yes, you’re reading that right). Enough to buy more than 30 million pizzas.

Does he regret it? Never!

Rest assured, Laszlo Hanyecz has no regrets today. His goal wasn’t to get rich, but to prove that Bitcoin could be considered a credible currency, used for real-world transactions, capable of purchasing everyday items.

A cryptocurrency pioneer, the American developer is also the originator of graphics card (GPU) mining, a process that has become essential for securing the network. His post on Bitcointalk was a true psychological turning point on a global scale: this cryptocurrency finally had a price and a concrete use.

The meme tradition

Now, every May 22 is an opportunity for the crypto community to celebrate the famous “Bitcoin Pizza Day.” Enthusiasts take this opportunity to meet up, chat, and post memes on social media—and, of course, order pizzas!

As for Papa John’s, an unwitting player in this crazy story, the restaurant chose to commemorate “the most expensive delivery in history” with a plaque depicting two pizzas.