Swiss city Lugano to accept BTC for taxes, grant $50m to crypto startups
A panel at the PlanB conference in Lugano on Oct. 20 focused on efforts to drive Bitcoin (BTC) adoption in the city. The panel included Mayor of Lugano Michele Foletti, CEO of Tetragon Pavel Matveev and other leaders involved in PlanB — an initiative launched in September 2021 to make Lugano a hub for Bitcoin and blockchain innovation. The panel highlighted the progress that has been made over the past two years in educating and onboarding both businesses and individuals in Lugano onto Bitcoin and blockchain technology. This includes educational summits, workshops, and a PlanB Summer School that brought together students from 30 countries to learn about Bitcoin. The city has also launched a Bitcoin-pegged stablecoin called Lugano (LUGA) that can be used for payments at over 350 merchants around the city. Approximately 20 percent of Lugano’s population has an active Lugano wallet. The city government will also begin accepting tax payments in Bitcoin starting Dec. 1. You m...