PIZZA DAY FOR 10000 BITCOINS: MY STORY OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE LUNCH IN THE WORLD

Damn, I still can't believe it actually happened. May 22, 2010 – the day an ordinary programmer paid 10 thousand bitcoins for two lousy pizzas. And you know what? I was there, I saw it happen. Not physically, of course, but I watched this ridiculous transaction unfold on the forum.

The History that Changed the World of Cryptocurrency

Imagine: a May day in 2010. No one really knows what Bitcoin is. This guy, Laszlo Hanyecz, posts on the Bitcointalk forum: “I will pay 10,000 bitcoins for a couple of pizzas.” I thought at the time: “What kind of idiot would agree to that?” But one British guy – Jeremy Sturdivant – ordered two pizzas from Papa John's and sent them to Laszlo in Florida.

The Han Chinese even posted photos of those cursed pizzas! And then he transferred him 10,001 BTC ( including a fee of 1 BTC). At that time, it was about 41 dollars. FORTY-ONE DOLLARS!

And now? In 2024, these 10,000 bitcoins are worth more than 690 MILLION dollars! That's a hell of a lot of money for two mediocre pizzas with extra toppings!

Laszlo – genius or idiot?

Many think that Laszlo is a complete fool, but I see the situation differently. This guy is not just some random weirdo. He was one of the first Bitcoin miners, created the first mining software for graphics cards instead of processors. Essentially, he revolutionized the Bitcoin mining process.

And you know what's the strangest thing? He has no regrets! I read his interview where he says: “It wasn't that bitcoins had any value, I just wanted to prove that they could be used as real money.” I don't know if he's lying or if he's really such a philosopher, but I would definitely be kicking myself in his place.

What about Jeremy? This nineteen-year-old kid got 10,000 bitcoins! And what did he do? Spent it all within a year on some trip with his girlfriend. What a financial genius.

From Pizza to Cult

Now every year on May 22, all crypto fans celebrate “Bitcoin Pizza Day.” Exchanges hold promotions, people buy pizza with cryptocurrency, and wear t-shirts with prints of this story. Some even came up with the “Bitcoin Pizza Index” – how many pizzas can be bought for one bitcoin.

But all this commotion masks a simple truth: this silly deal became the first real use of bitcoin as a means of exchange. Before this, bitcoin was just a digital toy for geeks, a set of ones and zeros without practical value. Laszlo proved that these virtual coins can be used to buy something real.

What does this story teach us?

This whole pizza story is a vivid reminder of how unpredictable the world of cryptocurrencies is. No one, absolutely no one could have predicted that Bitcoin would rise to such heights.

And although many crypto enthusiasts shout about a “revolution of money” and a “new financial system,” the primary value of Bitcoin has always been its ability to function as a medium of exchange without intermediaries. This is what Satoshi Nakamoto wrote about in his white paper – “a peer-to-peer electronic cash system.”

Every time I eat pizza, I remember this crazy story and think: “What if I were in Laszlo's place?” Probably, I wouldn't be writing these lines now, but lying on my private island, sipping a cocktail.

But maybe I would have spent all my bitcoins just as quickly as Jeremy did. Who knows? History does not tolerate the subjunctive mood. And perhaps, without that legendary pizza transaction, Bitcoin would never have become what it is today.

So while someone is laughing at Laszlo, I give him his due. This guy with his silly pizzas changed the world of cryptocurrency forever.