May 22 is just around the corner, and we’re gearing up to celebrate the 14th anniversary of the first commercial bitcoin transaction once again — Bitcoin Pizza Day!
The famous order from Papa John’s in May 2010 didn’t just become a punchline for memes and jokes about the priciest pizza ever. It became a significant symbol for the entire bitcoin community, an important date celebrated annually worldwide.
Before we get any further: In this particular piece, I’m not really concerned with whether Laszlo Hanyecz fully understood the importance of his action in proving bitcoin’s transactional power or simply attempted to gauge reactions by offering to exchange some of his wealth for pizza. The fact is, on May 22, 2010, 10,000 BTC were paid for two boxes from Papa John’s, and that transaction not only became the basis for numerous discussions, and threads over the past 14 years but, most importantly, it marked the first commercial payment in Bitcoin and proof of its usability as a monetary tool.
Whether Hanyecz truly craved pizza or used his bitcoin for such stuff as a joke, the fact remains that he did take some effort and actually was not acting alone. Many people may not know how Laszlo bought his pizzas. It wasn’t as simple as for us today using Lightning Network for instant transactions. And by the way, in February 2018, he tried his chance again, actually ordering pizzas using LN but that’s another story… For now, let’s get back to 2010.
Laszlo Hanyecz is a Floridian programmer who deserves more credit for his role in Bitcoin than just his famous pizza purchase. Not only was he active on the Bitcoin Forum and most probably closely watched the first ever made Satoshi-Hal Finney’s transaction on the blockchain early in 2009, but also for quite some time, he was mining Bitcoin (hence his accumulation of 10,000 BTC). As a developer, he was involved in a few technical cases as well. But that’s something you’ll need to explore yourself if you’re interested. Moving forward, I’m going to continue with the Pizza Day.
On May 18th he posted on Bitcoin.org that he wanted to exchange his coins for a couple of pizzas. Another Bitcoin user accepted his offer and paid in fiat for two Papa John’s boxes, which were then exchanged for those 10,000 BTC from Hanyecz. It wasn’t too easy at that time but it worked. A peer-to-peer deal, Bitcoin payment for two large pizzas — the first commercial transaction.
Youth + Bitcoin = a better future!
Take a moment to glance at the famous photo where Laszlo shows off the two pizzas he bought with bitcoin. Zoom in. Look at the children.
There’s a reason why I mention this, and it makes me think deeply about the present and future rather than dwelling on the past and Hanyecz’s reasons for buying those pizzas.
Fourteen years ago, perhaps for Laszlo’s family, that moment was simply about enjoying pizza together. But for the rest of the world, it often seemed strange—”how could someone spend so much bitcoin on pizza?” These days, and even more so in the future, kids, teens, and adults alike consider bitcoin transactions to be normal. In fact, for many of them, dealing with fiat currency already seems strange, if not downright bizarre.
Do you get my point?
That’s what truly fascinates me about this story! The incredible progress and the groundwork we’re laying for both current and future generations! Just think—from two pizzas to a global micro-economy covering not just food, but also jobs, services, fundraising, donations, and who knows what else is yet to come.
Considering just goods, in just 14 years, we’ve reached a point where you can buy almost anything with bitcoin. Borderless transactions, empowering many who were previously excluded or marginalized, not only highlight the brilliance of Satoshi’s creation (or discovery, as I prefer to say) but also capture its essence as money. People’s money — reliable, fair, transparent and fully decentralized. Undoubtedly, one of the greatest things that happened in the entire human history.
Trusting in the power of kids to shape the future, in my free time, I’m trying to do a few things to spread the importance of financial and personal freedom to the next generation. Today, I want to share with you some of my tricks and meanwhile to bring more fun to the celebration of the 14th Bitcoin Pizza Day for the young ones.
Below are selected pages from my workbook that can be enjoyed by kids who are already familiar with bitcoin and those who are completely new to the topic. The whole book, titled WHATABEAR YOU LOVE, was actually created more as an orange-pilling tool, intended to gently introduce kids, their families, and friends to the world of bitcoin without putting too much pressure on pure bitcoin education. But rather by incorporating its culture through logos and symbols as well as teaching something I find being the core of bitcoin culture – logical thinking, personal experiences and learning in our own speed.
Here, you’ll find six simple pages with ZiGi, one of the 21 Satosh Bears, who’s a big fan of pizza… His story and following worksheets bring a little something to read, play with, and enjoy. They can be easily printed at home, on any regular printer, black-and-white or in color.
They’re yours now! Use them to inspire younger generations or as an extra touch to your celebrations on May 22. The goal is to get kids hooked not just on Bitcoin and the Pizza Day, but also on the most precious thing that many of us seem to be losing these days…
Taking a break from the digital world for a moment and simply experiencing the joy of real-life interactions. Reading stories, discussing them, making jokes, coloring and decorating a simple sheet of paper, and maybe even getting inspired to cook together — making your own pizza every May. Imagination has no bounds if we know how to spark it.
So, grab those files, print them out, and hand them to the little ones.
Enjoy some fun before, during, and after the Bitcoin Pizza Day!
Bitcoin gets beyond single dates… no matter how significant they may be.
BTC Your Mind. Let It Beat…
Şela
