Fifteen years after a programmer traded 10,000 BTC for two pizzas, the crypto community marked Bitcoin Pizza Day with record-breaking celebrations.
In 2010, Laszlo Hanyecz paid roughly $41 for a pair of Papa John’s pies in what became the first known real-world Bitcoin transaction. Today, those coins would be worth $1.11 billion at Bitcoin’s new all-time high of $111,000, recorded during the Asian session.
“It was exciting to get real pizza for bitcoin back then,” Hanyecz told one outlet, adding that he’s pretty stoic about the $1 billion valuation.
Global giveaway celebrations
The anniversary has drawn a worldwide response, blending nostalgia with billion-dollar bravado.
Binance led the corporate charge with a $5 million Bitcoin referral pool, capping payouts at $40 per pair to nod at the original pizza deal.
“From two pizzas to a global financial movement… we’re marking Bitcoin Pizza Day with the biggest BTC referral giveaway in history – $5 million worth,” said Binance CMO Rachel Conlan. The exchange also rolled out pizza trucks and hosted parties across cities worldwide.
Competitors weren’t far behind. BTSE launched a $5.22 million USDT trading contest, echoing the date with a 5.22% BTC staking yield and a pizza-themed photo competition. HTX offered “Surprise Gifts” worth $200,000 in a two-week campaign backed by seven TRON partners, while MEXC’s “Lucky Wheel” spun for over $100,000 in BTC and tokens.
Events from Buenos Aires to Dubai include DIY streams, community-led meet-ups, and branded giveaways, coordinated through the new Pizza Day hub.
The institutional wave flowing into Bitcoin now collides with grassroots celebration, turning what began as a meme into a marketing supercycle.
Some observers question whether Pizza Day’s mass giveaways attract real users or merely pad sign-up stats. But the billion-dollar lunch endures as proof that every meme in this market might just turn to money.