TLDR:
- Stripe and Paradigm launched Tempo, a payments-first blockchain now in testing, with partners including Visa and Deutsche Bank.
- Tempo is designed for stablecoins, offering low fees, fast settlement, and 100K+ transactions per second performance.
- Early partners include Visa, Shopify, Deutsche Bank, Nubank, and OpenAI to shape Tempo’s payment infrastructure.
- Tempo enables real-world flows like payroll, remittances, global payouts, and microtransactions through stablecoin neutrality.
The payment industry has got a new blockchain contender. Stripe and Paradigm announced the launch of Tempo, a payments-first chain now in private testing. The project brings together major global players in finance, e-commerce, and technology.
Visa, Deutsche Bank, Shopify, and Standard Chartered are among the first partners. The goal is clear: make stablecoins the backbone of everyday payments.
Crypto Payments Move Into Focus
Tempo is built to solve a gap in crypto infrastructure. Much of the current system leans toward trading, not real-world payments. Paradigm co-founder Matt Huang explained in a post that Tempo was created to meet this demand. The chain is designed for global payouts, payroll, and remittances.
Introducing @tempo
A payments-first blockchain incubated by Stripe and Paradigm
— Matt Huang (@matthuang) September 4, 2025
Stripe CEO Patrick Collison also described Tempo as a way to bring microtransactions and AI-driven payments onto blockchain rails.
With predictable low fees and stablecoin gas support, it aims to lower barriers for enterprises. The design also allows opt-in privacy and dedicated payment lanes. Partners like DoorDash, Revolut, and Nubank have joined to help test these flows.
Visa and Deutsche Bank are working as early design partners to shape settlement and banking integrations. Shopify is exploring Tempo to streamline online checkouts using stablecoin rails.
With these firms onboard, the chain looks positioned to attract enterprise adoption.
Tempo Stablecoin Blockchain Built for Speed
Performance is at the core of Tempo’s architecture. Paradigm stated that the network targets over 100,000 transactions per second with sub-second finality. It is also EVM-compatible, built on Reth, and supports payments or gas fees in any stablecoin.
This design ensures stablecoin neutrality, allowing issuers flexibility to launch and integrate with Tempo. The validator set is described as independent and diverse, with a roadmap toward open participation. Paradigm confirmed Tempo will eventually transition to a permissionless model.
The infrastructure supports a wide range of flows. From tokenized deposits to embedded accounts, the aim is to push more real-world payments on-chain. By connecting financial services with e-commerce and AI, the network wants to extend beyond crypto trading use cases.
Tempo is incubated as a standalone company with its own team, though still closely tied to both Stripe and Paradigm. Matt Huang confirmed he will lead Tempo while continuing at Paradigm. He noted that opportunities to incubate such ventures are rare, making Tempo a unique case.
