Bitcoin has achieved a remarkable milestone—crossing ₹1.08 crore in value for the first time. Back in 2009, its value was practically zero. Since then, the cryptocurrency has not only revolutionized finance but also generated countless fascinating stories.
Perhaps the most intriguing is the mystery of its creator. To this day, no one knows who actually invented Bitcoin. The only clue is a name—Satoshi Nakamoto—a pseudonym used by the person or group behind it. Their identity remains unknown.
And then there’s the famous pizza story.
In 2010, a software engineer named Laszlo Hanyecz made the first real-world Bitcoin transaction by buying two pizzas. The price? 10,000 bitcoins—worth about $41 at the time.
Had he held onto those bitcoins, their current value would be over ₹10,000 crore. That means each slice of those two pizzas, assuming 6 slices per pizza, would now be worth around ₹833 crore per slice.
The Birth of Bitcoin
It was 2008. A global financial crisis was shaking the world. Confidence in banks and governments was at an all-time low. People were losing faith in the traditional financial system—many even lost their life savings due to poor decisions made by banks.
Amid this turmoil, someone using the name Satoshi Nakamoto released a concept paper online. It proposed a revolutionary idea: a digital currency that could work without the control of banks or governments.
On January 3, 2009, the first block of Bitcoin—the “Genesis Block”—was mined. Bitcoin was born. Its goal? To be decentralized—free from the control of any single institution.
The ₹10,000 Crore Pizza
Fast forward to May 22, 2010. Florida-based programmer Laszlo Hanyecz posted on a Bitcoin forum:
“I want to buy two pizzas for 10,000 bitcoins.”
At the time, Bitcoin was so new and obscure that 10,000 bitcoins were worth just about $41.
A man named Jeremy Sturdivant saw the post, accepted the offer, and ordered two Papa John’s pizzas for Laszlo. Laszlo sent him the 10,000 bitcoins in return.
This simple act became a landmark moment—the first time Bitcoin was used in a real-world transaction.
Today, those 10,000 bitcoins would be worth over ₹10,000 crore, making those arguably the most expensive pizzas in history. That day is now celebrated as Bitcoin Pizza Day.
The Anonymous Founder
Despite being one of the most valuable and talked-about creations in modern history, the identity of Bitcoin’s creator is still a mystery.
In October 2008, a whitepaper titled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System” appeared on a cryptography mailing list, authored by Satoshi Nakamoto. That was the world’s first introduction to the name.
Satoshi remained active for a few years, posting on forums, collaborating with developers, and even mining the first coins himself. But by 2011, he vanished.
In one of his final messages, he simply said:
“I am now working on other things. Bitcoin is in good hands.”
Since then, he has never been heard from again.
Some believe Satoshi was a lone genius, possibly from Japan. Others suggest it was a team of developers hiding behind a single name. What’s known is that his digital wallet contains around 1 million bitcoins—worth billions today. Yet, these bitcoins have never been moved or spent.
To this day, Bitcoin remains a symbol of financial innovation—and the enigma surrounding its origins only adds to its legend.