• The Plan Initiative was launched on March 03, 2022.
• The main objective of the Plan was to scale Lugano’s blockchain capabilities.
• Tether and the City of Lugano have launched the Plan Business Hub to celebrate the first anniversary of the Plan.

It is now a year since the Plan Initiative was launched in the city of Lugano. So far The Plan has brought crypto to over 150 shops and businesses within the city. As a result, Tether Operations Limited (Tether), the company behind USDT stablecoin, has joined the city to celebrate this achievement.

When The Plan was launched, the city of Lugano announced that Bitcoin (BTC), Tether (USDT), and the city’s own LVGA token would be accepted as payment for taxes, parking tickets, tuition fees, and public services. So far, over 150 businesses and shops including Mcdonald’s have also started accepting USDT, BTC, and LVGA in addition to fiat currency as payment for goods and services.

To celebrate the culmination of a successful year for The Plan Inititiative, Tether and the City of Lugano on March 3, 2023, announced the launch of the Plan Business Hub.

The Plan Business Hub

The Plan Business Hub will help explore the potential adoption of blockchain technology in businesses and the long-term use of cryptocurrencies in the European region.

The Hub will house more than 300 blockchain experts and enthusiasts and serve as a global point of reference in Lugano. It will also host a recreational space for meetups and workshops fostering education and development. It is designed to attract talent, and encourage networking and knowledge sharing.

The Mayor of Lugano, Michele Foletti, commenting on the development said:

“The goal of this collaboration is to make Lugano a center of excellence for blockchain technologies. In the first 12 months we have seen growing interest and Lugano is now definitely on the world map, alongside a handful of other destinations. The strength of Lugano’s Plan ₿ is that it has been able to demonstrate real-world use of blockchain technologies by applying it practically to local communities in Lugano. Businesses of all sizes and scale have begun to leverage blockchain platforms to improve their processes and we are watching before our very eyes as Lugano becomes a model for the global adoption of cryptocurrency.”

Since The Plan was launched, Lugano has hosted numerous networking, outreach, and educational events that have attracted people from around the world to learn and discuss the opportunities presented by blockchain technology and cryptocurrency adoption. For instance 86 students from 26 countries visited the city over the past year for the first-ever Plan summer school, an intensive 2-week program by Tether taught by world-class experts on the business, regulatory, and technological implications of blockchain and Bitcoin.

There is a 500-student grant set aside for future Plan summer school program students. Tether and the City of Lugano are also working together to provide additional grants to university students in the coming months.

For the 2023 calendar, there is the 2023 Plan forum in Lugano that is scheduled to take place between October 20 and October 21. Tether will also continue its Plan summer school program with two sessions for 2023 in the spring and summer.