Exchanges Are Offering More Than $10 Million in Prizes for Bitcoin Pizza Day Celebrations Today

Fifteen years after a programmer exchanged 10,000 BTC for two pizzas, enthusiasts in the cryptocurrency space celebrated Bitcoin Pizza Day with unprecedented fanfare.

In 2010, Laszlo Hanyecz made history by spending about $41 on a couple of pizzas from Papa John’s, marking the first recorded Bitcoin transaction for a tangible item. Fast forward to today, and those same coins could be valued at $1.11 billion, based on Bitcoin’s recent peak of $111,000 during the Asian trading hours.

Hanyecz shared his thoughts, reflecting on the excitement of purchasing real pizza with Bitcoin back in the day, while maintaining a calm demeanor regarding the staggering valuation of his original transaction.

### Global Giveaway Celebrations

This milestone has sparked a global reaction that mixes nostalgia with corporate exuberance.

Leading the corporate sector, Binance initiated a $5 million Bitcoin referral program, limiting individual payouts to $40 per pair in a nod to the original pizza transaction.

Rachel Conlan, Binance’s CMO, stated, “From two pizzas to a global financial movement… we’re celebrating Bitcoin Pizza Day with the largest BTC referral giveaway in history – worth $5 million.” The exchange also organized pizza trucks and hosted events in various cities around the globe.

Other companies quickly followed suit. BTSE introduced a $5.22 million trading competition, tying in the date with a 5.22% BTC staking yield, along with a pizza-themed photo contest. HTX offered “Surprise Gifts” totaling $200,000 over a two-week initiative, supported by seven partners from TRON, while MEXC’s “Lucky Wheel” campaign had over $100,000 in BTC and tokens up for grabs.

Events spanned from Buenos Aires to Dubai, featuring DIY streaming, community gatherings, and branded giveaways, all organized through a new Pizza Day platform.

The influx of institutional investment in Bitcoin coincides with these grassroots celebrations, transforming what started as a meme into a powerful marketing phenomenon.

Some analysts question whether the large-scale giveaways genuinely engage authentic users or simply inflate registration numbers. Nevertheless, the legendary lunch remains as a testament that every meme in this space has the potential to be monetized.