PANews reported on December 26th, citing Cointelegraph, that the Swiss city of Lugano has begun accepting Bitcoin for various payments, ranging from McDonald's to local taxes. The city has been implementing its "Plan ₿" project, a collaboration with USDT issuer Tether, aiming to build the infrastructure for Bitcoin in everyday life. Merchants are participating because Bitcoin's Lightning Network typically charges less than 1% in fees, compared to the average 3% for credit card networks. Furthermore, residents can use standard QR code bills to pay municipal bills in Bitcoin or USDT, including taxes, parking fines, and school fees.

Entering the Blockchain Era: How Pi Network’s Micro Nodes Could Power the Future of Web3 and DeFi
The “blockchain era