Lugano has entered the week of its biggest Bitcoin appointment of the year. Plan B Week, the fringe programme that accompanies the Plan B Forum, runs from 19 to 28 October at venues in the city and nearby, with workshops, technical meetings and discussion sessions devoted to Bitcoin, digital infrastructure and new applications. The centrepiece remains the Forum itself, now in its fifth edition, scheduled for Friday 23 and Saturday 24 October.

The week's programme also looks to the academic and professional worlds. On Tuesday 20 October SUPSI hosted the Academic Day, a day of scientific discussion devoted to Bitcoin, while Wednesday 21 October brings Arkade Day at the LAC, aimed at people working on financial products, Bitcoin infrastructure and digital applications. Thursday 22 October adds further sessions on security and institutional use, including Securing Bitcoin by BitVault, focused on the risks of self custody and on protective practices.

Registration at the Palazzo dei Congressi

For the Forum, the reference point is the Palazzo dei Congressi on Piazza Indipendenza 4, which the event's official website names as the convention centre for the two days: pre registration opens on Thursday 22 October from 3 pm to 7 pm, while on Friday 23 October registration starts at 8 am and passes are collected by showing the QR code sent by email. Sessions are held in English, with simultaneous Italian translation of the main stage keynotes and panels. The venues listed for the programme also include Villa Ciani and the former Asilo Ciani, in the city centre.

On the official website the general pass, called the Peer Pass, is sold at CHF 249 and includes admission to the two conference days, the main stage keynotes and panels, masterclasses and educational content in the side rooms, as well as the startups and sponsors exhibition floors, one to one meetings between participants and the closing party. These are the organiser's published list prices, reported for information only: this newsroom offers no view on whether the purchase is worthwhile.

The second phase of the city's Plan B

The Forum belongs to the path the City began in March 2022. In its release of 3 March 2026 launching the second phase of Plan B, the city executive recalled the results of the first four years: over 400 city merchants enabled to accept payments in LVGA, BTC and USDT, more than 100 fintech and blockchain companies settled in the area, the PoW.space hub in the city centre, and university courses built with local universities and international partners. The new phase focuses on resilient and interoperable digital infrastructure, open standards and local skills in peer to peer technology, blockchain, distributed systems and artificial intelligence, with the stated aim of reducing dependence on large global technology providers.

For the City the event is also an economic and international showcase. The 2025 edition of the Forum, again according to the figures published by the city executive, drew over 4,000 participants from sixty countries. The current week will show whether those numbers are repeated, while registration for the two central days remains open and the organisational machine is completed between the Palazzo dei Congressi and the other central venues.