Bitcoin Pizza Day Sparks Debate: Was the First Bitcoin Transaction Actually for a JPEG?
As Bitcoin Pizza Day approaches on May 22, the crypto community is buzzing with debate over what might have been the real first Bitcoin transaction.
While the day traditionally commemorates Laszlo Hanyecz’s famous 10,000 BTC pizza purchase in 2010, resurfaced forum posts suggest that Bitcoin may have first been used to buy something far less edible — a digital image.
A Forgotten Transaction Resurfaces
A post from January 24, 2010, by a user named “Sabunir” on the original Bitcoin Forum has gone viral again. Sabunir offered to sell a self-made 1280×960 desktop wallpaper for 500 BTC, worth roughly $1 at the time.
He wrote:
“To get the picture, please send the coins to me and then send a Private Message stating the time you sent them. I will reply to your Private Message with a link to the picture.”
Even Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin’s anonymous creator, reportedly took part in the thread, helping facilitate the early experiment in peer-to-peer digital payments.
Minimal Interest — Then a Mysterious Payment
Despite the innovative idea, there was initially little interest from forum users. One participant, “SmokeTooMuch,” dismissed the offer, saying he wasn’t willing to spend money on a wallpaper.
However, on February 24, 2010, records show that Sabunir’s wallet received two transactions — one for 100 BTC and another for 500 BTC.
The timing has reignited speculation that this could have been the first instance of Bitcoin being exchanged for a digital good, months before the now-famous pizza purchase on May 22, 2010.
Donation or Digital Art Purchase?
Not everyone is convinced the transaction was a legitimate sale. Some argue it could have been a simple donation from another forum member rather than payment for the image.
Adding fuel to the debate, blockchain data reveals that the 100 BTC transaction occurred just seven minutes before a donation request was posted — suggesting it might not have been tied to the sale at all.
Until Sabunir himself provides clarification, the mystery of whether the world’s first Bitcoin transaction was for a JPEG or a pizza remains unsolved.
Ordinals and the Evolution of Digital Ownership
The timing of this renewed debate is fitting, given the explosion of Bitcoin Ordinals — a technology that allows text, images, and even videos to be inscribed directly onto Bitcoin’s smallest unit, the satoshi.
According to Dune Analytics, more than 6.8 million Ordinals inscriptions have now been minted. The technology has turned Bitcoin into a host for NFTs and other digital collectibles — a far cry from the network’s early days, when selling a wallpaper for 500 BTC seemed novel.
Conclusion
Whether or not Sabunir’s transaction marks Bitcoin’s true first purchase, the story underscores how deeply Bitcoin’s culture has always intertwined with digital creativity and experimentation.
From buying pizzas to minting Ordinals, Bitcoin’s journey continues to evolve — and its community continues to revisit its earliest transactions, still uncovering new meaning more than a decade later.
