Lugano Plan ₿
A vision for a sovereign and resilient digital city.
On 3 March 2022, the City of Lugano launched an innovative programme called Plan ₿, developed in collaboration with Tether, with the aim of promoting the responsible adoption of decentralised technologies such as Bitcoin and blockchain, supporting education, fostering innovation, and strengthening the city’s technological ecosystem.
After four years of tangible results, on 3 March 2026, Lugano and Tether signed a second Letter of Intent covering the period 2026–2030, expanding the initial path with a digital development strategy focused on sovereignty, resilience, and technological autonomy, in full alignment with the Digital Strategy 2025–2030 and the Lugano Duemilatrenta vision.
What was achieved in the first phase (2022–2025)
The first phase of Plan ₿ delivered tangible results for the city, its residents and businesses:
- Education and skills development: creation of university courses and training programmes in collaboration with local and international universities focused on decentralised technologies and digital finance.
- PoW.space: opening of a physical hub in the centre of Lugano dedicated to startups and professionals active in the Bitcoin, blockchain and peer-to-peer technology sectors.
- Plan ₿ Forum: establishment of an annual conference on Bitcoin and decentralised technologies, which has grown to over 4,000 participants from more than 60 countries and has become one of the leading international events in the field.
- Widespread digital payments: more than 400 local businesses have been enabled to accept payments in Bitcoin, Tether (USD₮) and LVGA, integrating digital currencies into everyday city life.
- Innovation in public services: introduction of instruments such as digital bonds and the possibility to make certain public payments in digital currencies.
- Economic ecosystem: attraction of over 100 companies operating in the fintech and blockchain sectors and increased international visibility for Lugano as a hub for technological innovation.
These achievements form the concrete foundation from which the new phase of the project has been launched.
Objectives of Plan ₿ | Phase II (2026–2030)
The second phase of Plan ₿ builds on the foundations already established, expanding its scope of action to the following areas:
- Digital resilience: strengthening the City’s capacity to manage infrastructure, services and data autonomously and securely.
- Interoperability: supporting open and compatible systems to enable future innovation.
- Local expertise: fostering the development of advanced skills in areas such as decentralised technologies and artificial intelligence.
- Simpler and more secure services: improving the digital experience of residents and businesses through efficient and transparent public services.
The new phase focuses on structured digital infrastructures, progressive pilot projects and results-based evaluations, with the aim of ensuring lasting benefits for the entire community and further consolidating Lugano’s role as a centre of excellence in technological innovation.
How to participate or learn more
The project involves residents, businesses, research institutions and the local community. On the dedicated website, you can find resources on:
- how to pay with cryptocurrencies and which participating businesses are active in the city;
- upcoming events and conferences scheduled in the coming months;
- training and networking opportunities;
- how Lugano supports startups and innovators in the sector.
The English version of this page was created with the aid of automatic translation tools and may contain errors and omissions.
The original version is the page in Italian.