The Biggest Bitcoin Pizza Day Celebration Ever

What happened to the 115 children who were orphaned and ended up in a zoo for their first ever bus ride, to commemorate a Bitcoin transaction that took place 15 years earlier? It’s a question I found myself asking in disbelief as I coordinated their entrance at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre — commonly known as the Entebbe Zoo — on Bitcoin Pizza Day, May 22. Morning sun, warm and full of excitement. Many of the children in Bugiri had not travelled beyond their village. Now, they were getting off buses and looking forward to seeing giraffes, elephants, etc. Some of these children had never seen an elephant or giraffe before. Hear the difference Never mind seeing one, I’d never heard of it. They were about to embark on a bizarre Bitcoin holiday, and they could not have been happier. How did we end up here?

As I watched those 115 children — children from the Orphans of Uganda Children Center — marvel at animals and enjoy their very first pizza party later that afternoon, I felt a swell of emotions in my chest. Children who had experienced too many hardships in their lives were filled with joy and wonder. They also felt a strong sense of belonging. This wasn’t a day of fun for me. This culminated an amazing journey of community, hope and innovation. Bitcoin Pizza Day is a celebration of the first Bitcoin real-world transaction. In 2010, Lazlo purchased two pizzas with 10,000 BTC. Most Bitcoiners celebrate it in a fun way. But for us in Uganda this year, Pizza Day became something deeply personal — a day when an internet myth reached into our world and made a real difference. Bitcoin did pay for the pizzas that were eaten by these children. Bitcoin also covered the cost of the bus tickets, zoo admission, and the opportunity for these children to travel outside their area for the very first time. In every way, it was the largest Bitcoin Pizza Day ever celebrated.

Bitcoin Pizza Day: The Road Ahead

As I stood in the zoo’s entrance, it was impossible not to reflect back on our journey. Isma’s team led by the orphanage director achieved a feat I had once considered nearly impossible. Our biggest expense has been feeding over 100 children. For the last few years we have been trying out a new concept: Would you be willing to use Bitcoin for everything? Sitting by sat we built up a Bitcoin-based economy to support the orphanage. We earned our biggest supplier’s trust by honoring all our promises and demonstrating the value of the strange digital currency. It’s a great honor to announce that the lady who provides us with maize, beans and other staples in bulk now accepts payment via bitcoin. This was quite a surprise. big win For us. We could purchase food directly for our children with the bitcoins that were donated to us by Bitcoiners around the world, and not have to always convert them to cash. This meant that our bitcoins would stay Bitcoin Closing the circle in our circular economy begins with a donor and ends at a dinner.

It wasn’t an overnight success. It was the result of months of education and relationship-building in our community. To help the children on a long-term basis, we knew we had to do more than just make one-time donations. We needed sustainable support. We set ourselves ambitious goals: to make the orphanage financially self-sustaining, and to integrate Bitcoin into everyday life in Bugiri.

Bitcoin Dada Ladies in Uganda helped us brainstorm ideas such as starting an egg farm so that the children could improve their nutrition and make money. We also acquired sewing machines for older kids to learn tailoring. All of the initiatives were aimed at equipping orphans to be able to care for themselves. Bitcoin was the currency network which allowed global supporters to become part of local solutions. The shopkeepers in our community, the market vendors and the school teachers were all eager to share the potential that we had seen. If more of our neighbors would trade in bitcoin — if they could save it, spend it, and trust it — then the orphanage’s lifeline wouldn’t depend solely on distant donors. This would allow the orphanage to be powered by local businesses and people. That’s what we are seeing, little by little. Bitcoin Kampala has stepped up outreach to the community, showing everyone how to get a Bitcoin wallet or make Lightning Payments, as well as why it’s not just for rich people. “internet money” But something can change their life. As new supporters join, the freedom train grows. The local medical clinic, which treats our children in the community, was another. And the local engineering firm joined too. Bitcoin has a growing circle of support.

A particularly pressing moment had cemented the trust I have in Bitcoin. Never will I forget that day when I realized the true power of technology beyond my life. One morning not long ago, the orphanage’s food store was empty — we had no food left to cook for the children’s lunch. Our usual funding was late, and the local stores refused to give us more credit. Isma contacted a South American friend out of desperation. When I told him of our situation, he did not hesitate. Isma was immediately sent $60 worth of bitcoins by the donor. Within seconds, the transaction popped up on Isma’s phone — confirmed. The next morning, he walked in to the food shop of our new Bitcoin vendor, showed him his bitcoin wallet and worked out an exchange for the maize and beans he needed for the lunch. The children had a warm meal by 1:00 pm. No banks were involved. There was no money transfer office open on Sunday (it’s a holiday after all). And there was no need to wait until Monday for the funds to be cleared. The borderless bitcoin connected a group of hungry orphans in Uganda to a generous friend in South America. Bitcoin literally filled empty plates that day. The feeling of miracle is something I think about often. The first tool I ever had that allowed me to summon assistance from any place on earth was just what we needed.

The first bitcoin donation I received got me into the largest Bitcoin conference in Europe in less than a month. But this instant lunch was more incredible than any Bitcoin knowledge I had. Bitcoin’s value was evident to me from the very first day, and not only in theory: Children who are hungry eat due to it?! Then I realized that technology is more than a hobby for wealthy investors or technophiles. It was a lifeline for the forgotten ones in society — like our kids out in Bugiri, many of whom had been orphaned by disease or tragedy and had nobody but us to care for them. Bitcoin helped us to keep our kids alive and healthy.

I am still amazed at how an unlikely sequence of events led us here. The truth is, I did not set out on purpose to be a part of the group. “Bitcoin orphanage project” Satstacker was the Machankura Ugandan agent who connected me with this orphanage. Back in the early days of Bitcoin, I ran a small educational meetup called Gorilla Sats. El Zonte (the famed “Zonte” in El Salvador) was a place that inspired me. “Bitcoin Beach”(and similar projects in South Africa, and Brazil. My goal after attending BTC Prague in 2023 was to spark a Bitcoin circular economy somewhere in Uganda — anywhere. Who would have thought it would be in a rural child care center? 

Originally, I thought Makerere University students might lead the way — or entrepreneurs. I gave talks, talked to other enthusiasts and dreamed a lot. I met a twitter contact who told me about an orphanage in Bugiri that was in trouble. Isma the caregiver was interested in Bitcoin. They were honest, genuine people who did good work with little or no money. Bitcoin was said to make it easier for them to accept donations. Then we got in touch. They learned from me, I helped them set up Lightning wallets, I showed them how to take care of themselves, I shared their stories online. The next thing that happened was way beyond what I expected. Bitcoiners from around the world — people we’d never met — started sending support. From a small trickle, the generosity of people from around the world grew. Orphanages and schools have also embraced this tool. The staff learned how to use seed phrases and make payments. They also kept records. The children became members of the Bitcoin Community. Inadvertently, 113 kids (now numbering 115) became among the youngest Bitcoin users in the world. It wasn’t because of any force, it was because the system worked. These kids, in a sense, accidentally showed what pure voluntary Bitcoin adoption looked like. Bitcoin met a requirement. That was it.

Africa needs Bitcoin and Bitcoin needs Africa

The zoo experience puts everything into perspective. We often say that Bitcoin solves real problems in Africa — things like costly remittances, lack of banking access, corruption, and currency instability. That truth is something I can attest to. The traditional financial system in Uganda is closed to anyone who doesn’t possess a National ID or lives far from the nearest bank. Bitcoin allows anyone to participate in the economic system with just a mobile phone and internet access (if using a smartphone). Wire transfers would take days to complete and incur hefty charges. Now, donations can be sent in just minutes for pennies. Bitcoin can be the most efficient and transparent method to pay for construction work, medical supplies or school fees. Africa needs Bitcoin Because it allows us to leapfrog over many infrastructural obstacles that held us back. It puts power directly in the hands of the people who need it — whether it’s an orphanage in Uganda, refugees in a camp who can’t open bank accounts, or a women’s savings group looking for a way to store their hard-earned savings. This alternative is available when the local currency collapses or when inflation starts to eat away at your savings. This creates a level playing field for financial transactions.

It’s the opposite side that has made me believe this just as much: Bitcoins for Africa. It needs the energy, the stories, and the real-world use cases that our communities provide — in places like Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and beyond, Bitcoin isn’t just an investment toy or a speculative asset — it’s a tool of survival and empowerment. Bitcoin will be put to the test in a humane way. It’s a way to feed children, finance education and start businesses. We are giving Bitcoin an important purpose that goes beyond price charts or inflation hedges. Infusing it with the values of solidarity and community is what we’re doing. Fernando, my friend and mentor from Brazil’s Praia Bitcoin, said something to me that stuck with me. He was impressed by our efforts with the orphanage, which began in 2023. 

“This is the most successful usage of Bitcoin so far. It’s starting the peaceful revolution with over 100 forgotten ones.” 

This was a big deal coming from someone half way across the globe who also fights to spread Bitcoin, for social good. It reminded me that what we’re doing in this little corner of Uganda is part of a much larger story — a peaceful revolution uniting those whom the old financial system left behind.

At the zoo I could feel that revolution. I saw it in the way the Kampala Bitcoin community members showed up en masse to support these kids — many volunteers traveled hours to be there, paying their own way just to share in this joy. The children were so eager to give pizza to our guests that it was almost as though they wanted them all there. Thanks for your kind words It is worth it to be there. There were no barriers at all. “rich Bitcoiners,” If there was anyone in attendance “poor orphans” melted away; It was just a bunch of friends celebrating the hope and potential. At the end of our day we had more than 160 people join us to celebrate. This was an event that I felt worth sharing with the world. Our journey has been documented on Twitter from the very beginning. I am excited to tell you that there will soon be a short film about Bitcoin Pizza Day. The documentary will show the kids’ smiles and songs, as well as their first encounter with wildlife. You can follow Bitcoin Kampala via X (Twitter), YouTube and Nostr to stay up-to-date on the next chapter and see when it is released.

Although the buses that took the children to Bugiri have left, the memory of this day is still fresh in our minds. As I write this in Kampala and reflect on our progress, it’s hard to believe how far we have come. It’s hard to believe that a simple idea — using bitcoin to help those in need — would snowball into a community and movement that’s changing lives. I think about the future a lot — about those kids and what opportunities we can create for them as they grow up. It’s not enough. They need a Bitcoin School where they feel loved and safe while learning life skills. By the time the children become young adults they will have access to a local market that is accepting of Bitcoin and understands it. Want to show people in Africa that Bitcoin can be combined with compassion.

After I’ve finished my thinking, I think back to that first question. I realize it wasn’t impossible at all. How did 115 children who had been orphaned end up in a bus going to the Zoo on Bitcoin Pizza Day? They did it because hundreds of people — from Uganda to South America to Europe and beyond — decided to care. A decentralized network enabled these caring individuals to collaborate and contribute instantly. Bitcoin, when guided by its heart can produce truly wonderful things. The experience I had has made me feel hopeful. This experience has left me deeply hopeful. “peaceful revolution” For over one hundred forgotten children, what is else possible? Our mission is more important than the price of bitcoin or other buzzwords. It’s all about dignity and human connection.

Bitcoin gave us all a second chance, especially for these kids. I’ve found a new purpose. They have, in return, given Bitcoin an inspiring story. This story, I think, is just getting started. As we say in the Bitcoin in Africa Twitter space: Africa needs Bitcoin. Bitcoin also needs Africa.

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It is a piece that was featured in a recent edition of the magazine. Print The Lightning Issue is the latest edition of Bitcoin Magazine. The full edition is available here as a way to showcase the various ideas that are explored.