Bitcoin Pizza Day is a holiday celebrated on May 22 every year, marking the first transaction of physical goods purchased with Bitcoin in 2010. 1 On that day, Laszlo Hanyecz, a programmer in Florida, posted on a forum offering to exchange 10,000 Bitcoins for two large pizzas. 1 His request was accepted by a netizen in the UK, who placed an order over the phone to a Papa John’s pizza restaurant near Hanyecz and received his Bitcoins. 1 The transaction is considered a milestone in Bitcoin history and a symbol of cryptocurrency culture. 1
The deal did not immediately attract widespread attention and response. In fact, Hanyecz's post did not receive any response for four days. 2 At the time, Bitcoin was still a very new and niche concept, with no real market or price. 2 It is estimated that 10,000 Bitcoins were worth only about $25, the price of two pizzas. 2 Hanyecz probably did not expect that the Bitcoin he used to buy pizza would rise to millions or even billions of dollars in the future. 2
When Hanyecz successfully bought the pizza, he shared his experience and photos on the forum, and received congratulations and praise from some netizens. 3 Some people called it a "great milestone", while others called it the "most expensive pizza". 3 As time went on, the transaction was gradually known and spread by more people, and became an important legend in the Bitcoin community. 3 May 22nd of each year is known as "Bitcoin Pizza Day", and many Bitcoin enthusiasts and community members will buy pizza, share stories, hold events, etc. on this day to commemorate this historic moment. 3
Bitcoin Pizza Day is not only a commemoration, but also a platform to showcase Bitcoin’s innovation and diversity. 4 In the past few years, Bitcoin Pizza Day has seen many interesting and meaningful events and projects, such as:
Pizza DAO: Pizza DAO is a decentralized blockchain project that aims to unite the global pizza fanatic community with the technological potential of Web3 to celebrate Bitcoin Pizza Day in a true way. 4 In 2021, the project held commemorative events in 100 pizzerias in more than 75 countries around the world and issued corresponding NFTs (non-fungible tokens). 4 These NFTs not only represent real-world pizzas, but also contain elements such as digital art, music, videos, and donate part of the proceeds to charity. 4
Lightning Pizza: Lightning Pizza is a Bitcoin payment service that uses Lightning Network technology to enable fast, low-cost, and intermediary-free payments. 5 Users can use the service to purchase pizza from brands such as Domino’s and Pizza Hut with Bitcoin and enjoy discounted prices and fast delivery. 5 The service was first launched in 2019 and gained widespread attention and use during Bitcoin Pizza Day. 5 Bitcoin Pizza: Bitcoin Pizza is a project founded by Anthony Pompliano and supported by the Human Protocol Foundation that aims to support small local pizza shops through cryptocurrency. [6] Users can order pizza from select pizza shops across the United States and pay with fiat or cryptocurrency. [6] Subscribers also receive a limited edition NFT pizza card and have the chance to win free Bitcoin. [6] The project launched in 2021 and promises to donate all profits to the Bitcoin Development Fund. [6]
The above is some introduction to the history of Bitcoin Pizza Day. Of course, there are more details and stories that can be found by searching online or on social media. Bitcoin Pizza Day not only reflects the process of Bitcoin from its birth to its development, but also shows the vitality and creativity of the Bitcoin community.