Plan ₿ Forum 2026 (Lugano)

The Plan ₿ Forum 2026 takes place in Lugano, Switzerland, on 23 and 24 October 2026. It is the yearly conference of Lugano’s Plan ₿, the programme through which the Swiss city promotes the use of Bitcoin, stablecoins and blockchain technology in its local economy.

What is the Plan ₿ Forum?

Plan ₿ was launched in March 2022 under an agreement between the City of Lugano and Tether, the issuer of the USDT stablecoin. The forum is its flagship event and is held every October on the lakefront. The organisers present it as a Bitcoin conference focused on adoption by states and cities, economics, financial freedom and freedom of speech.

Audience and speakers

The forum mixes Bitcoin developers, entrepreneurs, investors, local officials and curious visitors. The speakers announced on the official site include Paolo Ardoino (Tether), Elizabeth Stark (Lightning Labs), Adam Back (Blockstream), economist Saifedean Ammous and Samson Mow (JAN3). The programme combines keynotes, panels, workshops and an exhibition area. A satellite event on capital markets is scheduled on 22 October.

Practical information

• Dates: Friday 23 and Saturday 24 October 2026.
• Venue: Palazzo dei Congressi, Villa Ciani and the former Asilo Ciani, Piazza Indipendenza 4, Lugano.
• Tickets as of October 2026: Peer ticket CHF 249 (early bird), student ticket CHF 99, Cyber Punk VIP ticket CHF 2,999.
• Lugano is about one hour by train from Milan and around two hours from Zurich.

Why it matters

Lugano is one of the few European cities where a municipality openly supports Bitcoin payments, which makes the forum a good place to see how local adoption works in practice. Talks often cover self-custody, the Lightning Network and privacy. If you are new to the subject, read our guide What is Bitcoin? before you go, and check the official site for the final schedule, as programmes can change.