Stablecoin-issuer Tether and the City of Lugano today announced the launch of Plan ₿ Phase II (2026–2030), marking an expansion of the city’s initiative to integrate digital assets and decentralized technologies into public and economic infrastructure.
Building on the pilot projects of the original Plan ₿ launched in 2022, Phase II emphasizes structural development, technological resilience, and long-term digital sovereignty.
Over the past four years, Lugano has emerged as a European leader in real-world adoption of digital assets. More than 400 local merchants now accept Bitcoin, Tether’s USDT stablecoin, and the city’s own LVGA token.
Municipal services have experimented with digital bond issuance and select blockchain-based payments, integrating decentralized systems into public finance. Tether’s involvement has provided technical support, infrastructure, and strategic guidance.
A central component of the initiative is PoW.space, a physical hub created to foster blockchain and fintech innovation. The space has attracted over 100 companies, positioning Lugano as a bridge between traditional financial institutions and decentralized infrastructure.
Complementing this, the Plan ₿ Forum has grown into an international platform attracting more than 4,000 participants from over 60 countries, facilitating discussions on financial sovereignty, digital assets, and resilient urban infrastructure.
What is Plan ₿’s Phase II?
Phase II is structured around five strategic pillars. The first focuses on institutional infrastructure for digital assets, developing SwissLedger as an open blockchain for banks and enterprises. The second positions Lugano as a hub for digital trade and commodities, leveraging tokenization and programmable payments to modernize trade flows.
The third pillar addresses privacy-preserving digital identity, enabling voluntary and secure verification of citizens, businesses, and autonomous agents through zero-knowledge technologies.
The fourth pillar emphasizes the development of decentralized artificial intelligence and autonomous economic agents, creating an integrated ecosystem for public services and programmable transactions. The fifth pillar seeks to establish resilient urban digital infrastructure, including distributed networks, decentralized computing, and advanced cybersecurity systems to ensure operational continuity in critical services.
Tether has committed up to CHF 5 million ($6.3 million) over the next five years, primarily in the form of expertise, infrastructure development, research, and applied training, while governance and oversight remain fully with the City of Lugano. Initiatives will follow a rigorous framework of pilot projects, compliance evaluations, and iterative scaling, ensuring public accountability and risk management.
Paolo Ardoino, Tether’s CEO, said, “Phase II focuses on infrastructure, resilience, and local capacity building. Our goal is to support Lugano in becoming a globally relevant digital infrastructure hub while preserving public governance and autonomy.”
Mayor Michele Foletti added, “By 2030, a city’s freedom will increasingly depend on its ability to govern its data and essential services. Plan ₿ Phase II invests in open, resilient civic digital infrastructure that safeguards public interest.”