HTX Kicks Off Bitcoin Pizza Day Campaign with a 14-Day "Surprise Gifts" Giveaway

HTX, a cryptocurrency exchange, has kicked off a special 14-day campaign to celebrate Bitcoin Pizza Day, one of the most iconic anniversaries in crypto history.

Crypto exchange HTX is rolling out a special 14-day campaign to celebrate Bitcoin Pizza Day, one of the most iconic anniversaries in crypto history.

From May 13 to May 26, HTX users can participate in a “Surprise Gifts” giveaway with over $200,000 in crypto to be won. The rewards will be distributed daily through the HTX app, starting at 02:00 UTC each day.

To kick off the festivities, HTX will be distributing gifts from some of the hottest projects in the crypto sphere, including WOO Network, LeCoin, and MetaGPT.

Each day will bring a new surprise as HTX delivers an installment of the bounty in collaboration with a different project. Among the confirmed projects are:

WOO Network

LeCoin

MetaGPT

LayerSwap

Starry Night

Best Token

DeFiChain

Animoca Brands

STEPN

Prado

The crypto exchange will also be sharing some interesting facts about Bitcoin Pizza Day and its history.

This campaign aims to unite the crypto community in a fun celebration while kicking off the second part of HTX’s 2023 campaign.

What Is Bitcoin Pizza Day?

Every year on May 22, members of the cryptoverse celebrate Bitcoin Pizza Day. It marks the moment when the first-ever Bitcoin transaction for a good or service took place.

Back in 2010, an early Bitcoin developer named Laszlo Hanyecz made an interesting request on the BitcoinTalk forum. At the time, 10,000 BTC was worth only about $41.

As members of the Bitcoin community know, people used to trade small amounts of BTC for goods and services in the early days. However, most of these trades were done speculatively.

However, Hanyecz wanted to use Bitcoin for something more tangible. So, he logged onto the BitcoinTalk forum and made an unusual offer:

“I’ll pay 10,000 bitcoins for a couple of pizzas… like maybe 2 large ones so I have some leftover for the next day.”

Soon enough, a 19-year-old user named Jeremy Sturdivant responded. He ordered two large Papa John’s pizzas and delivered them to Hanyecz’s door. In return, Hanyecz transferred the 10,000 BTC to him.

No apps, No QR codes, No KYC. Just two nerds making a deal over the internet, fueled by curiosity and carbs. And just like that, the first real-world Bitcoin transaction was born.

Today, those 10,000 bitcoins would be worth more than $1,037 billion.

The Developer, The Teen, and The Billion-Dollar Deal

Hanyecz wasn’t just the guy who bought the world’s most expensive pizza—he was also a key contributor to Bitcoin’s early codebase. He developed one of the first GPU miners and helped port Bitcoin’s code to Mac OS.

At the time, however, he was simply aiming to use Bitcoin in a real-world scenario. His goal was to prove it could function like money. In fact, after that first transaction, he reportedly spent another 100,000 BTC on pizzas that same summer.

On the other side of the deal, Sturdivant didn’t become a millionaire. Like many in the early crypto scene, he didn’t expect Bitcoin’s astronomical rise. He later revealed that he spent the 10,000 BTC on travel expenses for a business trip.

In a 2013 interview, Sturdivant noted that it felt like a simple exchange, no different than trading any other currency for goods. At that time, Bitcoin was just beginning to show its potential.

Why May 22 Became Bitcoin Pizza Day

Each year on May 22, crypto users around the world mark the anniversary of this landmark event. Bitcoin Pizza Day has become a day of reflection and celebration. It’s a reminder of how far Bitcoin has come—from a little-known software project to a global financial instrument.

It’s also a humorous and humble lesson about value, hindsight, and innovation.

Many celebrate the day by buying pizza with Bitcoin, organizing local meetups, or joining global events. In 2021, the CryptoBootcampCommunity hosted Pizza Day events across African cities like Abuja and Kampala.

This year, CryptoBillis is organizing what is billed as “Probably, The Largest Bitcoin Pizza Party in the World” in collaboration with Polygon Guild Malaysia and other partners.

HTX’s campaign is just a part of this ongoing tradition. By offering crypto rewards and collaborating with key projects, HTX brings together the community in a fun and meaningful way.