Exactly 13 years ago, something happened that would forever change the crypto world. A young Californian named Jeremy Sturdivant sat in front of his computer watching another Bitcoin enthusiast desperately try to pay for two pizzas with this still completely unknown cryptocurrency. Laszlo Hanyecz had made an offer on the Bitcointalk forum: 10,000 BTC for two large pizzas to be delivered to him in Jacksonville, Florida. Most ignored him or complained about the difficulty of ordering pizza outside the US with Bitcoin.

But Jeremy Sturdivant thought differently. The then 19-year-old simply decided to act. He called a Papa John's pizzeria, ordered two pizzas, and paid with his debit card. On May 22, 2010, the doorbell rang at Laszlo’s — and Jeremy Sturdivant received 10,000 Bitcoins into his wallet. "It seemed fair to both parties, and who doesn’t like pizza?" he recalled years later. Jeremy Sturdivant had no idea at the time what these 10,000 BTC would be worth one day.

Back then, you could buy 10,000 BTC for about $41. Today? With a current Bitcoin price of nearly $80,000 per coin, those 10,000 BTC would be worth around $800 billion. Instead of holding onto them, Jeremy Sturdivant sold the coins shortly after receiving them to fund a trip with his then-girlfriend. "If I had looked at it as an investment, I could have held onto it longer," he told The Telegraph in 2018.

But here’s the interesting part: Jeremy Sturdivant regrets selling the Bitcoins so quickly, but also sees it philosophically. He wasn’t motivated by greed but simply wanted to help a Bitcoin peer. "Although I can’t take responsibility for Bitcoin’s success, I’m proud to have played a role in something that has rapidly evolved from an interesting project into a global phenomenon."

This simple pizza transaction became a legend. Every May 22, Bitcoiners worldwide celebrate Pizza Day — not because of the pizza, but because this moment showed that Bitcoin has real value. Jeremy Sturdivant and Laszlo Hanyecz unwittingly proved that this cryptocurrency is more than just code on the computers of curious nerds. They demonstrated that Bitcoin can be used to buy real things.

Today, 13 years later, Bitcoin has become the world’s leading cryptocurrency. Jeremy Sturdivant may regret the millions that slipped through his fingers, but he also knows: he was part of one of the most memorable moments in Bitcoin history. And that cannot be measured in money.