The city of Lugano in Switzerland has embraced digital currencies by enabling its citizens and businesses to utilize them for tax payments and municipal fees. In an official announcement on December 5, Lugano announced its acceptance of Bitcoin (BTC) and Tether (USDT) as payment methods for invoices issued by Lugano, using the Swiss cryptocurrency platform Bitcoin Suisse.

Under this new initiative, residents of Lugano can conveniently settle their taxes and various services by scanning the Swiss QR-bill code featured on their invoices and executing the transaction using their preferred mobile wallet and the chosen cryptocurrency.

This development is part of Lugano's broader Plan B, a collaborative venture with Tether aimed at leveraging Bitcoin technology to revolutionize the city's financial system. Bitcoin Suisse, serving as the technical partner in this integrated payment solution, supports Lugano in accepting Bitcoin and Tether payments for tax payment and other invoices related to municipal services.

Chief Product Officer at Bitcoin Suisse, Armin Schmid, said:

Lugano has implemented blockchain-based solutions in the past, including integrating the Polygon chain on the MyLugano app, LVGA Points payment token, Lugano digital franc, and the 3Achain blockchain infrastructure. Other Swiss municipalities like Zug started accepting Bitcoin and Ether for tax payments from local individuals and companies in 2021, while Zermatt introduced the option to pay taxes with Bitcoin in partnership with Bitcoin Suisse in January 2020.

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