Plan ₿ Lugano
Plan ₿ Lugano is a joint program of the City of Lugano and Tether, started in 2022, that aims to make Lugano the European hub for Bitcoin, blockchain and decentralized technologies. The Plan ₿ Foundation runs it. Residents and companies can pay all city dues and taxes in bitcoin and in the stablecoin USD₮.
More than 360 merchants in Lugano accept bitcoin, USD₮ and LVGA, the city's own token. Every year the city holds the Plan ₿ Forum, a Bitcoin conference with more than 2,500 attendees. The program also includes courses, a start-up hub of 2,100 square meters and a venture fund.
Plan ₿ Forum in Lugano
The Plan ₿ Forum takes place every year in Lugano and calls itself a Bitcoin and freedom tech conference. The Swiss Fintech Association is among its partners. Dates, agenda and tickets for the next forum are on the Plan ₿ website.
Plan ₿ Lugano also holds meetups, panels and workshops through the year, some of them at PoW Space in Lugano.
Paying with bitcoin in Lugano
Bitcoin over the Lightning Network, USD₮, LVGA and the NAKA Card are accepted for city services, taxes and daily shopping. At FC Lugano fans can pay for tickets, food and merchandise in bitcoin and USD₮.
In Phase II, Lugano and Tether signed a new memorandum of understanding that adds institutional blockchain use, local AI and decentralized identity to the program.
Upcoming fintech and finance events in Switzerland
Can you pay taxes in bitcoin in Lugano?
Yes. The City of Lugano accepts bitcoin and USD₮ for all city dues and taxes. In Switzerland the canton of Zug also accepts bitcoin for tax payments.
Who is behind Plan ₿ Lugano?
The City of Lugano and Tether started the program together, and the Plan ₿ Foundation carries it out. The Bitcoin Association Switzerland is a separate national association.
Plan ₿ Lugano and Finance Loop
Lugano uses bitcoin and stablecoins as everyday money for a whole city, while banks and asset managers in Germany and Switzerland build bitcoin custody and ETFs for their clients. Finance Loop brings people from both sides together at its events and Bitcoin seminars, and is a founding member of the German Bitcoin association, the Bitcoin Bundesverband.
Finance Loop is a professional network and has the goal of driving the adoption of emerging technologies in finance, such as AI, tokenization, stablecoins, and DeFi. Finance Loop helps its members build skills and personal networks in these fields: Investment & Digital Assets, Payments & Digital Money, Digital Infrastructure & Sovereignty, and Risk & Compliance.