Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino invoked Isaac Asimov’s Foundation during an Oct. 24 keynote in Lugano, while separate company projects span device-based artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure cooperation with the Swiss city.
Ardoino spoke at the Plan ₿ Forum. In a post accompanying the keynote video, he called it “Tether: a psychohistory interpretation” and his latest keynote. The forum agenda lists the session as “Tether – A Psychohistory Implementation” and gives it a 45-minute slot.
The keynote followed Tether’s earlier QVAC announcement. Tether announced its open-source QVAC software development kit on April 9. The SDK allows AI processing on users’ devices and peer-to-peer model sharing and inference.
Lugano and Tether signed a separate memorandum on March 3 for the second phase of Plan ₿, covering 2026 through 2030. The city describes Tether’s indicative contribution over that period as up to CHF 5 million, mainly in expertise, infrastructure, applied research and training.
Lugano cited rising cyber risks and dependence on global technology providers as reasons for the initiative. The city said residents and businesses stand to benefit from more secure, reliable digital services. The first phase of Plan ₿ began in 2022 and included experiments with Bitcoin and stablecoin payments.
The memorandum sets a framework for cooperation; any city spending or investment would require a separate approved agreement. Adoption decisions remain with city authorities. A joint committee is to establish annual work plans and review activities each year, but the memorandum sets no date for the first review.
