2. Making history with pizza
Bitcoin now underpins a two trillion-dollar cryptocurrency industry – but the first recorded transaction using it was the purchase of pizza.
On 22 May 2010, Lazlo Hanyecz, offered $41 worth of Bitcoin on a crypto forum in return for two pizzas.
A 19-year-old student obliged and the day went down in history for fans of the currency as #BitcoinPizza day.
A source of memes for those in crypto community, it also showcased the power of Bitcoin – an internet money that could genuinely buy items online.
Criminals must have been watching too, because within a year the first darknet marketplace was launched selling drugs and other illegal goods in exchange for Bitcoin.
The deal looks pretty bad for Lazlo now too. If he had held onto those coins they would now be worth hundreds of millions of dollars!
3. Becoming legal tender
In September 2021, President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador, central America, made Bitcoin legal tender.
Hairdressers, supermarkets and other shops had to accept Bitcoin by law, alongside its main currency, the US dollar.
Many Bitcoin enthusiasts and reporters visited the area, briefly boosting tourism to the country.
While President Bukele hoped the move would increase investment in his country and cut costs for citizens exchanging money, it did not become as popular as he hoped.
He is still hoping it will take off but for now the US dollar still remains king in the country.
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