Everyone remembers the story about the guy who bought pizza with Bitcoin.

On May 22, 2010, Laszlo Hanyecz spent 10,000 BTC on two Papa John’s pizzas, which back then cost next to nothing.
Today, those coins would be valued at hundreds of millions.
A classic example of missed opportunity that has become crypto folklore.

But I’ve been thinking about a different question for a long time.
Everyone talks about Laszlo, his mistake, his losses.
But what about the person who sold that pizza?
It turns out his name was Jeremy Sturdivant, and his story is much more interesting than it seems at first glance.

Jeremy was a very young guy when he participated in early Bitcoin forums.
He was only 19 when he saw Laszlo’s offer and decided to fulfill it.
The guy simply helped a friend buy pizza with Bitcoin and received 10,000 coins in exchange.
At that time, it seemed like a fair trade — cryptocurrency was an experimental thing, practically worthless.

Here’s the point: Jeremy didn’t hold onto those coins.
When Bitcoin started gaining popularity, he just spent or traded his tokens as needed.
He later explained that he never regretted it because, at the time, the value was minimal.
HODLing wasn’t yet a culture in crypto back then.

Today, Jeremy prefers to stay in the shadows.
Unlike Laszlo, who became the face of Bitcoin Pizza Day, he simply remained part of history.
But his role is no less significant.
He represents that wave of early adopters who saw Bitcoin not as a gold mine, but just as a currency for use and trade.

I think this is the main difference in the narratives.
Laszlo’s story is a warning about missed opportunities.
Jeremy’s story is simply participating in an experiment without regrets.
And honestly, I like the second story more.

Without people like Jeremy, willing to accept Bitcoin for real goods, cryptocurrency might have remained just a digital toy in niche communities.
They both played a key role in making Bitcoin a global phenomenon.
Next time you hear about pizza for Bitcoin, remember not only Laszlo but also the guy who sold that pizza.
Jeremy Sturdivant — an undeserved hero of one of the most iconic transactions in crypto history.