Tether and the City of Lugano Commit CHF 5M to Plan ₿ Phase Two (2026–2030)

According to official announcements, Tether and the city of Lugano, Switzerland, have launched Phase Two (2026–2030) of Plan ₿, committing up to CHF 5 million to support expertise development, infrastructure advancement, applied research, and training. The initiative will be built around five pillars: establishing institutional infrastructure for digital asset management, positioning Lugano as a hub for digital trade, advancing a sovereign digital identity system, nurturing a local AI ecosystem, and implementing a distributed urban digital infrastructure. Over the past four years, Plan ₿ has achieved significant milestones: more than 400 local merchants now accept BTC, USD₮, and LVGA payments; the PoW.space innovation center has been established; over 100 fintech and blockchain companies have been attracted; and the Plan ₿ Forum has drawn more than 4,000 participants from over 60 countries. Lugano Mayor Michele Foletti stated that Lugano’s choice to lead rather than wait demonstrates that innovation and institutional responsibility can coexist.