# Marco Dal Lago

> Marco Dal Lago is a person that works on global expansion and strategic partnerships in the stablecoin industry and conducts research and teaching in digital transformation and fintech.

- Canonical URL: https://iq.wiki/wiki/marco-dal-lago
- Categories: People in crypto
- Tags: Advisor, Founder, Researcher, Speaker
- Created: 2026-09-10T16:11:14.226Z
- Last updated: 2026-09-10T16:22:06.085Z
- Source: IQ.wiki — the world's largest blockchain and crypto encyclopedia (https://iq.wiki)

---

**Marco Dal Lago** is an entrepreneur, researcher, and academic with a background spanning technology, entrepreneurship, [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain), fintech, and digital transformation. He is Chief Expansion Officer at [Tether](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tether), having previously served as Vice President of Global Expansion and Strategic Partnerships and Head of Expansion, as well as CEO and Co-Founder of CLARA Swiss Tech. [\[8\]](#cite-id-ul1OngSOz51zssMn) 

## Education

Dal Lago graduated from the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland with a BSc in Management Engineering in 2013 and an MSE in Business Engineering and Production in 2016. He later attended the IE Business School, where he earned his MBA in 2021. [\[1\]](#cite-id-z5fpzb71rm)  [\[4\]](#cite-id-g2mc2s0kfk) 

## Career

Dal Lago began his career with a Summer Internship at Schindler Group in Locarno in 2012, followed by a Bachelor Thesis position at the company from June to September 2013. From February 2014 to September 2023, he worked in Research and Entrepreneurship at SUPSI's Department of Innovative Technologies in Manno. He also served as a Visiting Research Scholar at BIBA - Bremer Institut für Produktion und Logistik GmbH from September 2015 to February 2016. In 2015, he became CEO and Co-Founder of CLARA Swiss Tech SAGL in Lugano, a position he held until March 2022. From December 2019 to December 2023, Dal Lago was an Associate Professor at Franklin University Switzerland, where he taught in the MSc in International Management program, focusing on digital transformation strategies. From October 2021 to October 2022, he also served as a Strategic Advisor on blockchain, distributed ledger technology, and fintech to the Italian Chamber of Deputies. Dal Lago joined [Tether](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tether) in April 2022 as Head of Expansion and became Vice President of Global Expansion and Strategic Partnerships in June 2024. In June 2026, he became Chief Expansion Officer, overseeing the company's expansion activities and strategic partnerships. [\[2\]](#cite-id-bfbxucjnqx) 

## Interviews

### Tether’s Playbook

At a fireside chat at Currency Cape Town in March 2026, Dal Lago spoke with Chris Harmse of [BVNK](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bvnk) about [Tether's](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tether) development and position in the [stablecoin](https://iq.wiki/wiki/stablecoin) market. The discussion examined [Tether's](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tether) early focus on [cryptocurrency](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) [arbitrage](https://iq.wiki/wiki/arbitrage) and its subsequent expansion into payments and remittances during the COVID-19 pandemic, driven in part by growing demand from retail users worldwide. Dal Lago emphasized the importance of understanding local markets and user behavior, describing a regional approach based on analyzing transaction flows and influencing established usage patterns rather than relying on broad incentive programs. The conversation also covered [Tether's](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tether) approach to regulation and the U.S. market, including the decision to develop [USDT](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tether) and [USAT](https://iq.wiki/wiki/usat) separately while prioritizing emerging markets and strategic positioning rather than immediately pursuing U.S. domicile or compliance with the [GENIUS Act](https://iq.wiki/wiki/genius-act). Dal Lago further discussed [Tether's](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tether) broader product ecosystem, including decentralized artificial intelligence and wallet infrastructure, with the size and engagement of its overall user base serving as important measures beyond [USDT](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tether) issuance. The discussion concluded with his outlook for [stablecoins](https://iq.wiki/wiki/stablecoin) and on-chain payments, including continued experimentation in the sector, the growth of cross-border transactions, gold-backed [digital assets](https://iq.wiki/wiki/digital-assets), and the possibility that gold or other [digital assets](https://iq.wiki/wiki/digital-assets) could eventually serve as widely used mediums of exchange. [\[6\]](#cite-id-pqho40wvlr) 

[YOUTUBE@VID](9ctD4lpS88A)

## Presentations

### USDt

At a presentation at UDC in November 2025, Dal Lago discussed the origins and development of [Tether](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tether) and [USDT](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tether), explaining that the [stablecoin](https://iq.wiki/wiki/stablecoin) was created in 2014 to facilitate trading and [arbitrage](https://iq.wiki/wiki/arbitrage) between [cryptocurrency](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) exchanges by providing liquidity during periods of [Bitcoin](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bitcoin) market volatility. He described [USDT's](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tether) market capitalization growing to nearly $69 billion and its increasing adoption among individual users and institutions, highlighting its ability to process large-scale redemptions during periods of financial stress. Dal Lago emphasized [USDT's](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tether) role in emerging markets where access to U.S. dollars is limited, particularly for remittances, trade, and savings in countries affected by inflation and currency devaluation. He also discussed the predominance of small, local [USDT](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tether) transactions for remittances and everyday payments, as well as [Tether's](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tether) [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain)-agnostic approach, which he described as supporting decentralization and reducing dependence on centralized infrastructure. The presentation also covered [USDT's](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tether) use in cross-border payments, trade finance, and gig-economy payments, along with [Tether's](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tether) cooperation with law enforcement agencies, which Dal Lago described as helping make [USDT](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tether) a transparent and traceable financial tool while discouraging illicit activity. [\[3\]](#cite-id-ccs3cijbbz) 

[YOUTUBE@VID](KrUBwZ0Ejtw)

### Digital Gold

At the 18th Bolivian Economists Meeting in February 2026, Dal Lago discussed the role of [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) technology in financial and economic development, drawing on his experience in innovation and technology education. He described the development of [USDT](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tether) since its launch in 2014, including its use as a globally transferable stablecoin and its backing by U.S. government debt and [Bitcoin](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bitcoin). Dal Lago also discussed [Tether’s](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tether) integration of gold through [XAUT](https://iq.wiki/wiki/tether-gold-xaut), backed by gold held in Swiss vaults, as well as its exploration of [smart-contract](https://iq.wiki/wiki/smart-contract) applications with Hydron in countries with high levels of [cryptocurrency](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) adoption, such as Argentina. He highlighted [cryptocurrency](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) adoption in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico for purposes including protection against currency devaluation and remittances, while also discussing the growth of [Bitcoin](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bitcoin) investment through exchange-traded funds and strategic [Bitcoin](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bitcoin) reserves established by the United States and other countries. Dal Lago concluded that [cryptocurrency](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) adoption remains in its early stages, comparing its development to the early history of the internet and arguing that [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) technology could drive broader changes in the global economy as more countries incorporate [Bitcoin](https://iq.wiki/wiki/bitcoin) into their strategic reserves. [\[7\]](#cite-id-asn5pK1yuFYLyKZb) 

[YOUTUBE@VID](8_Y-MG2UdzA)