Bitcoin Pizza Day Fest Celebrates the Moment Cryptocurrency Transformed From Theoretical Concept to Practical Currency

On a sweltering afternoon in Lagos in May 2022, more than 500 young Nigerians gathered in a conference hall adorned with Bitcoin logos and pizza imagery.

On a sweltering afternoon in Lagos in May 2022, more than 500 young Nigerians converged in a conference hall decorated with Bitcoin logos and pizza imagery.

Similar scenes played out simultaneously across 18 cities in four African countries—from Nairobi’s tech hubs to Accra’s bustling business districts.

This synchronized celebration marked the continent’s largest coordinated cryptocurrency event: Bitcoin Pizza Day Fest.

“Most people focus on what those Bitcoins would be worth today—over $1 billion,” says Obinna Iwuno, founder of Crypto Bootcamp Community (CBC), the organization behind the continental festival. “But they miss the revolutionary act itself—the moment cryptocurrency transformed from theoretical concept to practical currency.”

Iwuno, a former image developer who discovered Bitcoin in 2016, has built what Bloomberg Intelligence analysts now recognize as Africa’s most expansive grassroots crypto education network.

In just four years, CBC’s Bitcoin Pizza Day initiative has expanded from a modest gathering in Lagos to a synchronized festival spanning 16 countries, with both Francophone and Anglophone participation.

This year, on May 22, over 20,000 participants are expected at 48 events in 12 countries, ranging from Ghana and Senegal to Cameroon and DR Congo.

The initiative also marks a unique chapter in the emerging narrative of cryptocurrency in Africa.

While news headlines often highlight government regulations and institutional investments, CBC’s story underscores the role of community organizing and bottom-up innovation in driving crypto adoption across the continent.

Reframing a Crypto Legend

Bitcoin Pizza Day commemorates the day in 2010 when programmer Laszlo Hanyecz paid 10,000 Bitcoin for two Papa John’s pizzas.

At the time, the Bitcoins were reportedly worth $41, while the pizzas cost $25. Today, those bitcoins would be worth over a billion dollars.

“The narrative had become distorted,” explains Iwuno during a video call from CBC’s Lagos headquarters.

“People called Hanyecz foolish, but without that transaction, would Bitcoin have evolved from a programmer’s experiment to a global asset class? Someone needed to be first.”

This perspective, he adds, is crucial in the African context.

“We often discuss the unbanked population, remittance costs, currency devaluations—these are routine political risks in many African countries.”

In essence, says Iwuno, Bitcoin offers a potential solution to these persistent problems.

Since 2022, CBC has organized over 80 Bitcoin Pizza Day events across 15 African countries, with more than 50,000 participants.

“We don’t sell get-rich-quick schemes. We’re building infrastructure for a continent where 57% of adults remain unbanked, where remittance costs average 8.9%, and where currency devaluations are routine political risks.”

The statistics behind CBC’s work speak for themselves.

The organization has directly onboarded over 20,000 Africans into the cryptocurrency ecosystem through their events.

More significantly, their educational initiatives have catalyzed the formation of independent Bitcoin clubs, circular economies, and entrepreneurial ventures across the continent.

“We track three outcomes,” explains Iwuno.

“First, everyday citizens acquiring their first bitcoin. Second, local businesses accepting cryptocurrency payments. Third, developers building Africa-focused blockchain solutions.”