From October 24 to 25, 2025, the lakeside city of Lugano once again became the global stage for Bitcoin, stablecoins, and blockchain innovation, hosting the fourth annual Plan ₿ Forum at the Palazzo dei Congressi. What began as an ambitious civic experiment in 2022, in partnership with Tether International, has evolved into a fully functional ecosystem where technology, policy, and culture collide, creating a living demonstration of a Bitcoin-powered city.
This year, more than 4,000 participants from 64 countries attended the Forum with a 38% increase from 2024 and a 140% rise from the inaugural 2022 edition. Over 800,000 viewers tuned in via livestreams, highlighting global curiosity about how decentralized technology is reshaping finance, media, artificial intelligence, and even neuroscience. Lugano is not merely hosting a conference, it is embodying applied decentralization, turning ideas into tangible infrastructure for citizens and visitors alike.
Bitcoin in Daily Life
The 2025 Plan ₿ Forum highlighted Lugano’s ongoing efforts to integrate Bitcoin and stablecoins into civic life. A centerpiece of the Forum was the reinstallation of the Satoshi Nakamoto statue at Parco Ciani, unveiled by Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino, FundStrat co-founder Tom Lee, and Mayor Michele Foletti. The unveiling symbolized the initiative’s cultural significance and its expanding global footprint, with replicas now installed in El Salvador and Japan.
The Forum and its accompanying Plan ₿ Week offered workshops, educational sessions, and hands-on demonstrations that engaged both visitors and local residents, including the Italian-language Spazio 21 sessions, which drew over 600 participants on the first day. These activities reflected the Forum’s dual focus: advancing blockchain innovation while fostering community awareness and adoption of digital assets.
Panels, Keynotes, and Innovations
Over 100 speakers participated, spanning civic leaders, developers, fintech innovators, and regulators. Key panels explored:
- Nation-State Bitcoin Adoption & Monetary Sovereignty
- Capital Markets & Tokenization on Bitcoin
- Lightning Network in Commerce
- Freedom of Speech & Crypto Infrastructure
Major announcements underscored the Forum’s forward-looking impact. Rumble CEO Chris Pavloski revealed plans to integrate Bitcoin tipping into the platform’s 51 million active-user ecosystem, in partnership with Tether. Tether’s AI research division introduced QVAC Genesis I, the world’s largest synthetic AI dataset, alongside QVAC Workbench for decentralized, privacy-preserving AI computation. Ardoino emphasized that these technologies aim to return intelligence and financial autonomy to individuals.
The Forum also spotlighted groundbreaking intersections of technology and human empowerment. Presentations on brain–computer interfaces showcased innovations restoring movement and speech for paralyzed patients, while panels featuring global figures like Bo Hines, Jack Mallers, and members of the Assange family highlighted Bitcoin’s role in economic inclusion and civil liberty.
Hands-On Workshops & Citywide Engagement
Plan ₿ Week (October 20–23) transformed Lugano into a hub of crypto activity. Arkade Day explored programmable money, CypherTank hosted startup pitches, and Info Point sessions guided newcomers through wallets and merchant onboarding. Spazio 21 provided Italian-language workshops for local residents, drawing more than 600 participants on the first day alone.
Cultural side events—from gallery exhibits to lakeside drone shows projecting the ₿ symbol—blurred the line between conference and festival, emphasizing Bitcoin’s integration into civic life. The vibe across the Palazzo dei Congressi and city streets blended energy, collaboration, and learning: developers in hoodies debating regulations with bankers in tailored suits, while attendees carried coffee paid via Lightning invoices or explored real-time crypto merchant dashboards.
Impact and Legacy
While no single product launch defined the event, the Forum’s structural impact was profound:
- Increased adoption of crypto among local merchants.
- Stablecoins gained legitimacy as practical settlement vehicles.
- Bitcoin transitioned from speculative asset to functional infrastructure.
- Institutional observers focused on mechanics of real-world adoption rather than market price.
Mayor Foletti reflected: “Lugano is proving that technology is a tool for civic engagement and economic participation. Bitcoin is infrastructure, culture, and a lived experience.” Ardoino added: “Plan ₿ brings together the builders and thinkers turning decentralization into something real. People are using Bitcoin for payments, AI operates on personal devices, and cutting-edge technologies like brain–computer interfaces extend the boundaries of freedom.”
Looking ahead, the Plan ₿ Initiative announced two upcoming events: Plan ₿ Forum El Salvador (January 30–31, 2026) to explore Bitcoin’s impact in emerging markets, and the Fifth Annual Plan ₿ Forum in Lugano (October 23–24, 2026) to continue advancing dialogue on financial freedom, innovation, and blockchain’s societal role.
By the close of the 2025 Plan ₿ Forum, Lugano had done more than host a conference—it had become living proof of what a decentralized city can be. In Lugano, Bitcoin and blockchain technology are instruments of civic engagement, technological empowerment, and global innovation—tangible, operational, and alive in the streets, workshops, and communities of a city leading the future of finance.