Remember the guy who made the first real-world bitcoin transaction in 2010? He paid 10,000 bitcoins for two pizzas. The coins were worth about $40 then, and more than $1.24 billion when Bitcoin's price went over $124,000 for the first time in August 2025.
The 10,000 bitcoin that software developer Laszlo Hanyecz paid for two Papa John's pizzas delivered to his Florida home on May 22, 2010, were worth about $41 at the time. Today they're worth $1.1 billion, as bitcoin hits record high prices.
The crypto reality check
Theoretically, A$1,000 invested when Bitcoin traded around 37 Australian cents in late 2010 could have grown to approximately $466.8 million by now. That's a whopping 46,682,249% return. However, cryptocurrency investors faced immense challenges over this period.
The closing price for Bitcoin (BTC) in 2010 was $0.30, on December 31, 2010. It was up 385.4% for the year. The latest price is $93,065.84.
₹10,000 in Bitcoin in 2010 Would Now Be Worth ₹3,607 Crore. If you had invested ₹10,000 in Bitcoin in 2010 when its price was just ₹2.29 per coin, you would have owned 4,366.81 Bitcoins.
If you spent $100 on Bitcoin in 2010, you would have over $33 million and could clearly live a lavish retirement, assuming you never sold the digital asset.
In a groundbreaking transaction on May 22, 2010, programmer Laszlo Hanyecz made history by purchasing two Papa John's pizzas for 10,000 Bitcoin, marking the first real-world commercial use of the cryptocurrency.
If you had purchased $20 in Bitcoin in 2009, you would have bought around 20,000 Bitcoins. Based on today's value, those 20,000 Bitcoin would be valued at nearly $2 Billion.
According to historical data at Investing.com, Bitcoin's price never broke above $0.40 per bitcoin in 2010 but did manage to hit that level in early 2011. Then in February, it crossed $1. Just a few months later, in May, it briefly exceeded $8 — a stunning 8-bagger in mere months!
If you invested $10K in Bitcoin in 2012, you'd have over $71 million today. It was 2012, and most people were too busy scrolling through videos on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, given the boom of social media platforms around the time.
Despite extreme volatility, Bitcoin's price has skyrocketed 1,060% in the past five years as I write this. This monster gain would've turned a $10,000 initial capital outlay in October 2020 to a whopping $115,700 on Oct. 6.
Key Takeaways. The IRS treats cryptocurrency as property, meaning that when you buy, sell or exchange it, this counts as a taxable event and typically results in either a capital gain or loss. When you earn income from cryptocurrency activities, this is taxed as ordinary income.
Bitcoin Market was announced on Bitcointalk in 2010 and it launched the same year, offering a floating exchange rate for bitcoin. Buyers could purchase bitcoin by sending another user U.S. dollars via PayPal while Bitcoin Market would hold the seller's bitcoin in escrow until the seller received their money.
If you invested $1,000 in Bitcoin in 2010, your holdings could be worth around $1.76 billion today, based on a conservative estimate of 20,000 BTC and the current price of $87,948.37.
For example, a $100 Bitcoin investment five years ago would be worth $370 today.
I've read multiple sources that indicate in 2010 one could mine 100 to 250 BTC per day for most of 2010 with a dual-core processor.
Key Points. Bullish price targets for Bitcion in 2030 range from $500,000 to over $1 million. If Bitcoin grows that much, a $1 investment today could be worth $5.75 or more in a few years. Although you won't get rich from $1 in Bitcoin, you could do well if you dollar-cost average into it.
I bought Bitcoin in 2010 and forgot — is it still recoverable? Only if you still have access to the wallet file or private key. If not, the Bitcoin is likely lost permanently.
5 years ago: If you invested $1,000 in Bitcoin in 2020, your investment would be worth $9,689. 10 years ago: If you invested $1,000 in Bitcoin in 2015, your investment would be worth $496,927. 15 years ago: If you invested $1,000 in Bitcoin in 2010, your investment would be worth about $1.62 billion.
The person who holds the most bitcoin is believed to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the unknown figure behind its creation. Bitcoin has been a business interest for many years, but following the approval of spot bitcoin ETFs in January 2024, businesses accounted for the most bitcoin held.
If you spent $100 on Bitcoin in 2010, you would have over $33 million and could clearly live a lavish retirement, assuming you never sold the digital asset.
But does Laszlo Hanyecz still hold Bitcoins today? There has been no record of him holding any bitcoins of great worth publicly. Laszlo Hanyecz's net worth is not publicly known. Laszlo Hanyecz today lives in seclusion.
The first notable retail transaction involving physical goods was paid on May 22, 2010, by exchanging 10,000 mined BTC for two pizzas delivered from a Papa John's in Jacksonville, Florida.