Zug and Lugano, December 5, 2023 – Today, the City of Lugano announced that it has broadened its payment options by including cryptocurrencies for the payment of tax invoices and all other community fees. Starting today, Lugano will accept Bitcoin (BTC) and Tether (USDT) as a means of payment through a simple and fully automated process, utilizing Bitcoin Suisse.

The new payment option introduced today by the City of Lugano marks a modern shift in how people handle city-related expenses. Citizens and companies alike may now use Bitcoin (BTC) and Tether (USDT) to pay any invoice issued by Lugano, including tax invoices. While cryptocurrency payments in Lugano were reserved for transactions made on the City's online portal, Lugano is now extending this possibility to all its invoices, regardless of the nature of the service or the amount invoiced.

Lugano is taking a big step by becoming one of the first cities to accept Bitcoin and Tether for all transactions, making payments more flexible and modern for everyone. This move is part of Lugano’s Plan B, a collaborative effort with Tether to use Bitcoin technology as the basis for transforming the city’s financial system. The plan aims to integrate blockchain and Bitcoin into various aspects of daily life in Lugano.

Bitcoin Suisse supports Lugano in its Plan B by handling the technical part of the integrated payment solution, providing a convenient option to accept payments with Bitcoin and Tether for tax collection and other invoices for municipal services. By using the benefits of the Swiss QR-Bill, a fully automated solution is being offered: Citizens and companies of Lugano may merely scan the QR code on the invoice received and then simply pay with their preferred mobile wallet by choosing the cryptocurrency they wish to pay with.

Armin Schmid, Chief Product Officer at Bitcoin Suisse, said: “We are delighted to support the City of Lugano in accelerating the use of Bitcoin technology as the foundation to transform the city’s financial infrastructure. It is great to see that more and more Swiss municipalities are offering payments in cryptocurrencies as an option available to both citizens and companies, complementing traditional payment methods such as post-office counters and e-banking platforms.”

Bitcoin Suisse is proud for its continued role as the technical infrastructure provider for crypto payments and making the latter easily accessible for Swiss cantons, cities and municipalities. Following successful implementations in the City of Zug, the Canton of Zug, and the municipality of Zermatt, Lugano has become the latest Swiss municipality to officially embrace cryptocurrency as a recognized form of payment.