Bitcoin Pizza Day: Celebrating the 15th Anniversary of the First Real-World BTC Transaction

Think about the wildest online purchase story you've ever heard. Does it involve spending what's now hundreds of millions of dollars on a couple of pizzas?

In the annals of cryptocurrency history, few events are as wild as the one that took place 15 years ago—the purchase of two Papa John’s pizzas for 10,000 BTC.

As May 22 approaches, the crypto community is preparing to celebrate the 15th anniversary of this legendary transaction, the first time someone verifiably used BTC to buy something in the real world.

It almost sounds like a joke now—two pizzas for what’s now worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

But back in 2010, it was a groundbreaking moment. It proved that this weird internet money could actually do something tangible.

Fifteen years later, Bitcoin Pizza Day isn’t just a quirky footnote; it’s a yearly reminder of how far cryptocurrencies have come, evolving from a niche experiment into tools with real-world utility for people all over the globe.

“From two pizzas to a global financial movement, crypto’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary—and our community has been the driving force behind it,” said Rachel Conlan, Chief Marketing Officer at Binance.

“This year, we’re marking Bitcoin Pizza Day with the biggest BTC referral giveaway in history—$5 million—alongside over 28 local meetups and social activations. It’s our way of honoring how far we’ve come while inviting millions more into the crypto world.”

Earlier this month, the crypto exchange asked its users to share how crypto has actually been useful in their own lives.

No memes, no chart discussions—just personal stories demonstrating the practical side that Bitcoin Pizza Day first hinted at.

Running into a common travel snag in Malaysia—needing to pay a rental deposit but not having a local bank account—Andy from Vietnam saw an opportunity for Plan B.

“I planned to use crypto and Binance to make the payment.”

As it turned out, the host ended up waiving the fee because Andy promised to take good care of the place.

“It was never completed, but still a perfect example of how versatile crypto can be in real-life situations!”

Codi, based in Dubai, shared a story about using digital assets for better value while traveling.

“In 2023, I paid for a delicious Turkish kebab with USDT while visiting Turkey. It was incredibly convenient, and the exchange rate was much better than what my Dubai bank offered.”

For Codi, using cryptocurrency wasn’t just novel; it made the trip easier and more economical.

“Having crypto as a payment option made the whole trip feel smoother and more flexible—true worry-free travel.”

It’s not always about convenience or necessity, though; sometimes it’s about sentiment.

Mina from Algeria used her first crypto salary, earned when BNB was around $200, for a special purchase.

“The first thing I ever bought with crypto wasn’t pizza—it was my mom’s favorite perfume. There’s something special about using crypto for something you love; it felt exciting, satisfying, and like I was part of something bigger.” She used Binance for the fast, seamless payment, adding, “My only regret? Not starting sooner!”

And then there’s Jimmy from Canada, whose story highlights how early adoption, even accidental, could turn out. Back in late 2012, when Bitcoin was just $13, he needed some BTC not for investment, but necessity.

“I just needed it to buy a textbook on compilers from an online seller who insisted on Bitcoin payment. I bought five whole Bitcoins on Coinbase, used a few to pay for the book, and forgot about the rest.”

It wasn’t until years later, after joining Binance, that he remembered the old account. “It sat untouched for years, and I became an accidental HODLer.”

These stories, from travel fixes to heartfelt gifts and forgotten digital wallets, show crypto’s utility extending far beyond just trading charts.

So, why all the fuss about two pizzas bought 15 years ago? Because that single transaction, initiated by programmer Laszlo Hanyecz on the BitcoinTalk forum, was the moment Bitcoin stepped out of the purely digital realm.

On May 22, 2010, after offering 10,000 BTC for pizza delivery, another enthusiast, Jeremy Sturdivant, took him up on it, ordering the pizzas and receiving the Bitcoin.

At the time, those 10,000 BTC were worth maybe $41. Today? Over $970 million.

But the astronomical Bitcoin price difference isn’t the main point. The real significance is that it demonstrated utility. Suddenly, Bitcoin wasn’t just lines of code anymore.

That pizza deal proved it could operate as the peer-to-peer (P2P) electronic cash system Satoshi Nakamoto had described in the original whitepaper.

It served as the first