The Swiss city that lets you pay for most things with bitcoin

Shops, restaurants and even the local council in Lugano now accept the cryptocurrency.

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"Can I pay with bitcoin?" he asks, and the person behind the counter holds out what looks like a credit card payment terminal.

It is in fact a machine for paying by crypto currency. The equipment has been distributed free to local retail businesses by the city council.

The buyer pays by contactless, from the bitcoin wallet on his mobile phone. The bill comes to 0.00008629, which is roughly $8.80 (£6.60).

Few people who have bought bitcoin would probably think about using it to purchase actual things in shops. It is instead generally seen as an investment, a bet on its value going up.