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Adoption · Lugano2 min read

Lugano's Plan ₿ in 2026: hackers for the city, a pension-fund talk and a new deal with Tether

Since March 2022 the Swiss city has accepted bitcoin for taxes and public services. What the city says it has achieved, what is new this year, and which Lugano sessions to watch.

#Adoption#Plan ₿ Forum

On 3 March 2022 Lugano, a city in Italian-speaking Switzerland, launched Plan ₿ together with Tether. This October it hosts the fifth Plan ₿ Forum. Here is what the city reports, what is new, and what to watch.

How it started

  • Lugano said it would accept bitcoin, Tether's USDT and its own LVGA token for taxes and public services. The media called this "de facto" legal tender: the Swiss franc remains the only legal tender.
  • The plan included a fund of about CHF 3 million to help shops adopt these payments and up to CHF 100 million for blockchain start-ups moving to the city.

What the city says it has achieved

According to the city's Plan ₿ page:

  • more than 400 local businesses can accept payments in bitcoin, USDT and LVGA;
  • more than 100 fintech and blockchain companies have come to the city;
  • the forum has grown to over 4,000 participants from more than 60 countries;
  • a hub for start-ups, PoW.space, opened in the city centre;
  • on 3 March 2026 Lugano and Tether signed a second letter of intent for 2026–2030, focused on digital sovereignty, resilience and technological autonomy.
Note

These are the city's own figures. We have not seen an independent audit of them.

Red Team Lugano

New this year: Jaromil, scientific director of the Plan ₿ Foundation, started Red Team Lugano. According to the forum, ethical hackers test the city's perimeter, pilot projects and devices "night after night", and report problems through responsible disclosure.

A Swiss pension fund and bitcoin

24 Oct, 09:30 Lugano / 10:30 MSK, WAGMI Stage: "Breaking New Ground: Bitcoin in a Swiss Pension Fund" by Serge Kaulitz, head of DLT, blockchain and digital assets at Luzerner Kantonalbank (LUKB).

Expectation, not a fact

This could be news, but we found no public details on which pension fund is involved or how much bitcoin it holds. LUKB's public website shows crypto trading and savings plans for private clients. We will update this article after the talk.

Lugano sessions to watch

Lugano / MSKSession
23 Oct, 09:15 / 10:15"Lugano's Plan B Update": mayor Michele Foletti, Pietro Poretti (head of economic development), Paolo Ardoino (Tether); moderator Joe Nakamoto
23 Oct, 14:00 / 15:00"Building a Tech Business in Lugano: Entrepreneurs' Perspectives" (Hal Finney Room)
24 Oct, 14:45 / 15:45"Crypto in Switzerland: New Tax & Accounting Rules After the 2026 Federal Supreme Court Ruling", Lucas Nobs
24 Oct, 17:00 / 18:00"Lugano's Plan ₿ Foundation: From Bitcoin Adoption to Technological Sovereignty", Jaromil
Note

The tax masterclass mentions a 2026 ruling by Switzerland's Federal Supreme Court. We could not find that ruling independently yet, so we only quote the session title.

What we expect

Expectation, not a fact

The opening panel is the most likely place for new numbers on how bitcoin is used in the city. Until they are said on stage, the latest figures are the ones above.

Add the forum to your Bitcoin calendar.

Sources

  1. City of Lugano: Plan ₿ project page lugano.ch
  2. CoinDesk: Swiss city of Lugano to make bitcoin and Tether 'de facto' legal tender (3 Mar 2022) coindesk.com
  3. Cointelegraph: Lugano will accept Bitcoin, Tether and LVGA as de facto legal tender (3 Mar 2022) cointelegraph.com
  4. @LuganoPlanB: Red Team Lugano (7 Oct 2026) x.com
  5. @LuganoPlanB: new faces at the fifth Plan ₿ Forum (9 Oct 2026) x.com
  6. Luzerner Kantonalbank (LUKB) lukb.ch
  7. Plan ₿ Forum agenda planb.lugano.ch

Times are Lugano (CEST, UTC+2) and Moscow (UTC+3). Not investment advice.

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