London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 20, 2026

Bitcoin's surge beyond $60,000 means that famed programmer Laszlo Hanyecz effectively paid $613 million for two pizzas

Bitcoin's surge beyond $60,000 means that famed programmer Laszlo Hanyecz effectively paid $613 million for two pizzas

Laszlo Hanyecz paid 10,000 bitcoin for pizzas in 2010. Now that bitcoin has reached a record-breaking price of $60,000, he effectively paid $613 million.
Programmer Laszlo Hanyecz has become well known in crypto circles after making headlines for trading 10,000 bitcoin for two Papa John's pizzas on May 22, 2010. The day is now known as "Bitcoin Pizza Day" and is the most celebrated day in the crypto world, as Insider previously reported.

Thanks to Saturday's record-breaking price of $60,000, Hanyecz's stash would now be worth $613 million (or £440 million, per Sky News.)

The cryptocurrency, which boasts a market capitalization of more than $1.1 trillion, has been buoyed by investor optimism.

President Joe Biden signed a $1.9 trillion pandemic-relief bill into law on Friday, which will lead to $1,400 stimulus checks being distributed to millions of Americans, fueling hopes that the market boom will continue.

The surging price of bitcoin on Saturday marked an increase of 1,000% in the past year. It has also benefited from the backing of major institutions, like Tesla and Mastercard.

In fact, an ever-increasing number of firms are testing the crypto-waters, as Insider has reported. Bitcoin enthusiasts argue that "this time is different" for the world's biggest cryptocurrency because big-name firms are supporting the price and lending legitimacy to the project.

Not everyone is won over by bitcoin though. Famed investor Warren Buffett has repeatedly criticized it and other cryptocurrencies as "risky" and "worthless."

As for Hanyecz, he apparently has had no regrets in the years since he purchased the pizzas, despite the cryptocurrency's frequent price hikes. Last year, Coindesk quoted him as saying that "bitcoin is a way to harness greed."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Brilliant move: Péter Magyar Moves to Nominate Chess Grandmaster Judit Polgár as Hungary’s President
Spain Defeats Argentina in Extra Time to Win Second World Cup
Current AI Seeks to Build an Open Global AI Infrastructure Outside Big Tech Control
Turkey Explores S-400 Transfer to UAE in Bid to Rejoin F-35 Program
Germany’s Economic Malaise Reopens the Sunday Shopping Debate
Singapore Considers Lower Taxes for Fund Managers as Hong Kong Intensifies Talent Contest
US Retaliates Against Iran After Two American Troops Killed in Jordan
Bank of Asia BVI Enters Court-Supervised Liquidation After Regulators Find It Insolvent
Proposed U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Pact Could Permit Limited Uranium Enrichment Under International Safeguards
Netherlands Declares Water Shortage Emergency After Drought Pushes Rivers to Historic Lows
Why Kentucky Fried Chicken Became KFC—and Why the False Explanations Persist
Iran Claims It Destroyed Bahrain’s Main Artificial Intelligence Center in Missile and Drone Strike
Ukrainian Drones Strike Wildberries Warehouses Deep Inside Russia
Brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate Who Turned "Toxic Masculinity" Into a Brand Arrested in Miami as Britain Seeks Their Extradition
Reported CIA Mission Helped Clear the UAE’s Path to Advanced US AI Chips
Artificial Intelligence Capital Fuels Markets While Governments and Regulators Face Mounting Strategic Tests
China’s Moonshot’s Kimi K3 Narrows the Gap With Anthropic Through Scale, Openness and Lower Cost
Gold and Cash Seizure Puts Indonesia’s Senior Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Under Investigation
The Ledger Will Not Trust on Faith
Bank of England Warns Climate Shocks Could Trigger Sudden Asset Repricing
UK Treasury Places Microsoft, Google, AWS and Oracle Under New Financial Resilience Rules
Scottish Government Faces Pressure Over Delays in Vulnerable Group Background Checks
Crown Prosecution Service Authorises Additional Charges Against Andrew and Tristan Tate
NHS Approves At-Home Cancer Treatments for Rare Blood Disorders
Bank of England Gains Oversight of Major Cloud Providers Supporting UK Financial System
UK Government Plans Major Overhaul of English Local Councils Through New Unitary Authorities
British Steel Nationalisation Dispute Escalates as Chinese Owner Jingye Seeks Compensation
Bank of England Signals Interest Rates Will Stay High as It Warns of Financial Risks From Climate and AI
Trump Administration Pressures Banks to Restrict Financial Access for Undocumented Immigrants
Passenger Bound for Germany Refused to Sit Beside a Woman on a Plane — Then Slapped a Flight Attendant
Ukraine’s Leadership Rift Spills Into the Streets as Protesters Target Army Chief
Ukrainian Drone Barrage Kills Eight and Strikes Russian Logistics Network
Key Trends to Watch
Financial Conduct Authority Warns Cloud and Digital Risks Are Becoming a Financial Priority
Jeffrey Donaldson Appeals Sexual Abuse Conviction as Democratic Unionist Party Opens Review
Welsh Health Authorities Launch Emergency Meningitis Vaccination Programme for Students
Scottish Business Activity Falls for Third Month as Companies Face Rising Costs
Bank of England Regulators Demand Better Access to Digital Banking Services
United Kingdom Cuts Bilateral Aid to Several African Countries by Up to Ninety Per Cent
United Kingdom Introduces Tougher Deportation Rules After Rochdale Exploitation Scandal
NHS England Launches Wearable Technology Plan to Reduce Sepsis Deaths
Amazon Web Services Billing Error Sends Trillion-Dollar Invoices to British Companies
Bank of England Takes Direct Regulatory Role Over Major Global Cloud Providers
Extreme Summer Heat Drives Record Fire Risk and Rising Deaths Across Britain
United Kingdom Nationalisation of British Steel Sparks Diplomatic Dispute With China
United Kingdom Economy Shows Weak Growth Ahead of Major Autumn Budget
Andy Burnham Set to Become United Kingdom Prime Minister After Labour Leadership Victory
The Ten World Cup Finals That Defined Football History
Smartphones Are Getting More Expensive, Sales Are Collapsing, and Even Apple Admits: "Prices Will Rise"
The Monaco Bombing Has Become a Test of Ukraine’s Intelligence Accountability
×