On May 22, 2010, a programmer named Laszlo Hanyecz traded 10,000 BTC for two pizzas worth roughly $41. Today, those same coins are valued at approximately $773M, as Bitcoin Pizza Day marks its 16th anniversary.<\/p>\n
The question this anniversary raises isn\u2019t whether Laszlo made a mistake. The real question is what holding this asset through the next 16 years could do for you.<\/p>\n
16 years ago today, Laszlo Hanyecz paid 10,000 Bitcoin for two Papa John’s pizzas. <\/p>\n
Today, 10k $BTC<\/a> is worth over $775,000,000. pic.twitter.com\/HBkqsmpmD7<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Watcher.Guru (@WatcherGuru) May 22, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n\n Bitcoin Pizza Day in 2026 comes as the crypto market is in a slight slump, with BTC slowly bleeding away the gains made over the past month, dropping to $77,200 after a rally to over $82,500 just 10 days ago.<\/p>\n The broader crypto market is fairly flat on the day, with a modest +0.3% gain over the past 24 hours, and the total crypto market cap is at $2.65 trillion, down from $2.9 trillion just one week ago.<\/p>\n $BTC<\/a> is still holding above the $75,000-$76,000 support zone.<\/p>\n As long as this holds, I’m expecting a rally towards $79,500-$80,000. pic.twitter.com\/k8g2E5WAHv<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Ted (@TedPillows) May 22, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n\n The story begins with Laszlo Hanyecz, a developer who offered 10,000 BTC on a forum for two large pizzas. An 18-year-old user named Jeremy Sturdivant, known as \u201cjercos,\u201d accepted the offer, ordering two pizzas from Papa John\u2019s and receiving the Bitcoin in return.<\/p>\n At that time, Bitcoin was relatively new, lacking a reliable exchange rate or merchant support, making the trade feel more like an odd experiment.<\/p>\n What makes this story significant is not regret; Hanyecz has called the transaction \u201cincredibly cool\u201d, but the impact that followed. It took just 2.5 years for Bitcoin to exceed the price of a $20 pizza, and today, 1 BTC can buy over 3,800 pizzas.<\/p>\n At Bitcoin\u2019s peak in October 2025, that figure reached 6,236 pizzas. The 10,000 BTC Hanyecz used for a $41 meal is now worth more than most people earn in a lifetime, reflecting Bitcoin\u2019s rise as a strategic asset, a topic revisited every May 22.<\/p>\n Happy Bitcoin Pizza Day <\/p>\n 16 years ago today, Laszlo Hanyecz spent 10,000 #BTC<\/a> for 2 Papa John\u2019s pizzas \u2013 marking the first time bitcoin was exchanged for a real world good.<\/p>\n That 10K BTC is worth $770 million today <\/p>\nWhat Is Bitcoin Pizza Day, and Why Does It Still Matter in 2026?<\/h2>\n
What Lessons Can be Learned from Laszlo?<\/h2>\n