Before being treated as a billion-dollar investment or a global store of value, Bitcoin had to fulfill a basic function: serving as a means of payment. This is what happened 15 years ago, when an American programmer paid 10,000 bitcoins for two pizzas. The purchase, made on May 22, 2010, went down in history as the first commercial transaction with cryptocurrencies — and is still remembered today as Bitcoin Pizza Day, a symbolic milestone in the birth of the crypto economy.
The protagonist was Laszlo Hanyecz, who posted his offer on an online forum: 10,000 BTC in exchange for the delivery of two pizzas. The proposal was accepted by another user, and the transaction was completed. At that time, the amount involved was around $40. Today, with Bitcoin trading above $60,000, the same amount would exceed R$3 billion.
Since then, May 22 has been celebrated by investors, companies, and enthusiasts in the sector as a date for reflection on the evolution and future of the crypto ecosystem. Around the world, exchanges and communities organize events with pizza paid for in Bitcoin, educational campaigns, events on financial innovation, and even the issuance of commemorative NFTs.
“Bitcoin Pizza Day marks the moment when Bitcoin crossed the barrier of theory to prove itself, for the first time, as a real tool of exchange. It was a symbolic moment that anticipated a profound transformation in how we understand money, value, and trust. Since then, the market has matured, gained regulation, and established itself as one of the engines of financial innovation worldwide,” says Bernardo Srur, CEO of ABcripto, an association representing the crypto asset sector in Brazil.
Currently, Bitcoin is experiencing a new cycle of appreciation. “In Brazil, digital assets have advanced in building a robust regulatory framework. And more than a historical curiosity, Bitcoin Pizza Day has become a symbol of an ongoing structural change. An annual reminder that innovations capable of transforming the global economy can start as simply as a pizza order on a Sunday afternoon,” concludes Srur.
