The history of Bitcoin is punctuated by many unusual episodes. On May 22, 2010, developer Laszlo Hanyecz sought a good soul who would agree to deliver 2 pizzas in exchange for 10,000 bitcoins. This day is now known as the "Bitcoin Pizza Day", the first time a real estate has been acquired through cryptocurrency.
If you discover the anecdote today, it will surely make you smile. On May 22, 2010, a man spent 10,000 bitcoins (the equivalent of 70 million euros at the current price) to afford two pizzas. But before laughing, we must put the facts in context: at that time Bitcoin has only one year of existence and, if it is the subject of interest among technophiles, nobody never used it to buy real property. One unit trades between $ 0.003 and $ 0.004 and although many see its potential, no one dares to jump into the water. That's when Laszlo Hanyecz, a 32-year-old American developer, decides to make a proposal on the Bitcoin Talk forum.
"I agree to pay 10,000 bitcoins for pizzas, say two big pizzas, so I have some leftover for the next day, I like having pizza leftovers for later, you can make the pizzas yourself and to bring them to me, or to order them for me in a shop.What I want is to simply deliver food to me in exchange for bitcoins (...) If you are interested, let me know so that we agree. " Four days later, he thanks a British user who managed to order two pizzas over the phone at Papa John's restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida, where Laszlo Hanyecz lives. He publishes a photo in support.
"THE IDEA OF EXCHANGING AGAINST PIZZA WAS JUST INCREDIBLY COOL"
This episode, known as "Bitcoin Pizza Day", is celebrated each year by the Bitcoin community and offers some the opportunity to make fun of the fate of those who have lost a fortune by wishing to susten. Just three months later, in August 2010, a user tells him on Bitcoin Talk that his pizzas are now valued at $ 600. Others ask him ironically if his offer still holds. Laszlo Hanyecz writes: "Well, I did not expect this initiative to become so popular, but I can not afford to do it again. I am no longer able to generate thousands of bitcoins a day. Thanks to everyone who bought me pizzas, but I prefer to keep my bitcoins for the moment. "
In November 2010, while the course of the cryptocurrency continues to climb, a user asks him what it feels like to have pizzas priced at 2,600 dollars. And so on…
Laszlo Hanyecz has never shown remorse and even explained three years later, in the New York Times, that he considered this initiative as "cool": "It's not like bitcoins have any value at all. time, so the idea of exchanging them for pizza was just incredibly cool. Nobody suspected that it would take such a magnitude. "
EVERY 22 MAY, THE AFICIONADOS OF BITCOIN DISCOVER A PIZZA
Indeed, he can hardly be remorse because his idea has kicked off a new era for cryptocurrency. From simple experimental protocol, it became a potential currency and perhaps nothing would have happened as such if it had not had a small hollow. Since then, Bitcoin users are invited to have a pizza on May 22 to celebrate this event.
Some companies in the sector take advantage of it to surf the Pizza Bitcoin Day. This is the case of Ledger, which manufactures secure storage solutions, or eToro, a Cypriot trading platform.
Laszlo Hanyecz is now seen as a pioneer in the Bitcoin community and is still being talked about. In late February, he reissued his feat by becoming the first person to buy a real estate using Lightning Network, an update of Bitcoin network still unstable that should allow to increase the number of transactions per second. Lightning is still very risky and few people want to engage their own bitcoins. Laszlo Hanyecz yes. And guess what he bought? Two pizzas.
