Bitcoin Pizza Day 2024: How Startups are Paying Homage to the Day Today, one BTC would be worth somewhere around USD 69K, making the cost of two pizzas in hundreds of millions of U.S. Dollars
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The origin of Bitcoin Pizza Day can be traced back to 2010, 14 years ago to a Floridian programmer named Laszlo Hanyecz.
On May 18, 2010, Laszlo Hanyecz posted on the Bitcointalk.org forum, offering to pay 10,000 BTC for someone to order two large pizzas for him. His offer went unanswered until May 22, when 19-year-old Jeremy Sturdivant accepted it.
This marked the first real-world transaction made using cryptocurrency.
Today, one BTC would be worth somewhere around USD 69K, making the cost of two pizzas in hundreds of millions of U.S. Dollars. The widespread acceptance and adoption of cryptocurrency in 2024 were unimaginable back in 2010. Banks, corporations, startups, and governments are all embracing this technology and striving to harness its full potential.
Celebrating the day
Binance, the biggest player in the crypto space is celebrating Pizza Day in 16 countries, be it Pizza Van deliveries in South Africa to pizza parties in Thailand. Similarly, Mudrex is partnering with 30+ WeWorks to distribute pizzas to 500+ startups, offering Bitcoin coupons worth the amount of the pizza order for 30 Lakh+ pizza lovers on Zomato, and partnering with 25+ orphanages and shelter homes to spread the joy reaching 2,000+ kids.
"Bitcoin Pizza Day is a significant date in the crypto community, symbolizing the beginning of a new era in digital finance. We believe in the power of small acts of kindness. Today, it's pizza; tomorrow, it could be something else. What matters is that we continue to make a positive impact," said Edul Patel, CEO and Co-founder, Mudrex.
ZebPay is having a free pizza and a merchandise giveaway contest at its Mumbai office.
"To put that in perspective, at today's BTC price that would be close to $700mm for the two pizzas. Although in hindsight this might appear as the worst barter possible, back then this transaction was hailed by the nascent crypto community as a milestone for the adoption of crypto as an asset class. Fast forward today, Bitcoin fixed supply schedule has given it the moniker of "Digital Gold" and Institutional giants are recommending it to their clients as an asset for portfolio diversification," shares Parth Chaturvedi, Head of Investments, CoinSwitch Ventures.
"With Bitcoin recently surpassing 1 billion transactions, it's clear this digital asset is evolving beyond its initial use case. Bitcoin Pizza Day is a reminder of how far we've come, and with these advancements, Bitcoin is poised to solidify its position as a versatile and dynamic force in the digital age," adds Nischal Shetty, Co-founder, WazirX.