The 10,000 Bitcoin famously spent on two pizzas in 2010 by Laszlo Hanyecz would be worth well over $1 billion today (early 2026), with some reports placing the value at around $1.1 billion or more, depending on Bitcoin's exact price at the time of calculation, showcasing Bitcoin's massive growth since its early days.
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.
15 years ago, a software developer paid for two pizzas with 10,000 bitcoin. Those pies would be worth $1.1 billion today.
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.
And that's why the Oracle of Omaha doesn't own the asset. “If you told me you own all of the bitcoin in the world and you offered it to me for $25, I wouldn't take it because what would I do with it?” he asks. “I'd have to sell it back to you one way or another. It isn't going to do anything.”
When Bitcoin was just $900 per coin, Didi Taihuttu sold his 2,500 square-foot house, 3 cars, and all of his belongings and invested everything he had into Bitcoin. Today alongside his wife, 2 kids & full time nanny all travel the world together and live in exotic destinations.
Musk has stated that he does not own any bitcoin, and Tesla stopped accepting it as payment in 2021. This discussion of bitcoin is interesting because it highlights prevailing concerns about energy consumption and a top electric vehicle maker's opinion on the matter.
If you invested $1,000 in Bitcoin in 2009, your investment would be worth $103 billion.
Bitcoin is traceable because all transactions are recorded on a public blockchain that anyone can view. The IRS can and does track crypto by combining blockchain analysis with user data from crypto exchanges. Centralized exchanges must report user activity directly to the IRS, via Form 1099-DA and 1099-MISC.
You're required to report all of your cryptocurrency income, regardless of whether your exchange sends you a 1099 form. If you make less than $600 of income from an exchange, you should report it on your tax return.
There is no way to legally avoid taxes when cashing out cryptocurrency. However, strategies like tax-loss harvesting can help you reduce your tax bill legally. Converting crypto to fiat currency is subject to capital gains tax. However, simply moving cryptocurrency from one wallet to another is considered non-taxable.
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 first real-world Bitcoin transaction was on May 22, 2010 (also known as Bitcoin Pizza Day), when Laszlo Hanyecz paid 10,000 BTC for two Papa John's pizzas (roughly $41 at the time, or $0.0041 per Bitcoin).
Taking a buy-and-hold position in Bitcoin five years ago would have delivered massive returns for investors. As of this writing, Bitcoin is up 962.3% over the period. That means that a $1,000 investment in the token made half a decade ago would now be worth more than $10,620.
Bitcoin is held by over 100 million people, yet just 94 wallets control more than 10,000 BTC each.
What Happens to Mining Fees When All BTC Gets Mined? Once the last bitcoin is mined, block rewards disappear. Miners will then rely entirely on transaction fees to earn revenue. These fees are paid by users whenever they send Bitcoin, and they'll need to be high enough to keep miners incentivized to secure the network.