Bitcoin Pizza Day: the two pizzas that gave rise to the cryptocurrency economy

Before being treated as a billionaire investment or global store of value, Bitcoin had to fulfill a basic function: to serve as a means of payment. This was what occurred 15 years ago, when an American programmer paid 10 thousand bitcoins for two pizzas. The purchase, made on May 22, 2010, went down in history as the first commercial transaction with cryptocurrencies & is remembered until today as Bitcoin Pizza Day, symbolic landmark of the birth of the crypto economy. 

The protagonist was Laszlo Hanyecz, who published his offer in an online forum: 10 thousand 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 about 40 dollars. Today, with Bitcoin traded above US$ 60 thousand, the same amount would exceed R$ 3 billion. 

Since then, May 22 is celebrated by investors, companies and industry enthusiasts as a date for reflection on the evolution and future of the crypto ecosystem. Worldwide, exchanges and communities organize actions with pizza paid in Bitcoin, educational campaigns, events on financial innovation and even the issuance of commemorative NFTs. 

“O Bitcoin Pizza Day marks the moment when Bitcoin crossed the theory barrier to prove itself, for the first time, as a real exchange tool.It was a symbolic moment that anticipated a profound transformation in the way we understand money, value and trust. Since then, the market has matured, gained regulation and consolidated itself as one of the engines of financial innovation in the world”, says Bernardo Srur, CEO of ABcripto, an association that represents the crypto 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 simply as a pizza order on a Sunday afternoon”, concludes Srur.