What Is Tempo Network?

Tempo is a Layer-1 blockchain designed specifically for payments, developed in collaboration with leading fintech companies and Fortune 500 firms. Supporting all major stablecoins, Tempo is optimized for high-volume, low-cost, and global transactions. It prioritizes speed, reliability, and efficiency to meet modern payment processing needs.

Table of Contents

Team

Matt Huang, co-founder and Managing Director of Paradigm, and a board member at Stripe, serves as the CEO of Tempo Network, a payment-focused blockchain project.

Patrick Collison, co-founder and CEO of Stripe, shapes Stripe payment innovation strategies and contributes to the core vision of Tempo.

Tempo is a joint initiative by Stripe and Paradigm, built as a Layer-1 blockchain optimized for payment processing. Matt Huang leads the project while maintaining his role at Paradigm.

Partnerships and Collaborators

Tempo was launched by Stripe and Paradigm with design contributions from major global firms, including Anthropic, Coupang, Deutsche Bank, DoorDash, Lead Bank, Mercury, Nubank, OpenAI, Revolut, Shopify, Standard Chartered, and Visa.

How It Works

Tempo is an EVM-compatible Layer-1 blockchain based on Reth, an Ethereum execution layer built in Rust. Its payment-focused architecture provides:

Dedicated Payment Lane: Transactions are processed in a separate block space (isolated from DeFi or NFTs) for lower costs.
Stablecoin Support: Supports all major stablecoins (including USDB) for flexible, low-fee settlements.
High Performance: 100,000+ TPS with sub-second finality for real-time payments.
Compliance & Privacy: Features block/allow lists, ISO 20022-compliant memo fields, and privacy mechanisms.
Batch Transfers: Enables multiple transactions at once with native account abstraction.

As a result, payments are processed via stablecoins for global scalability, enabling cross-border transfers and microtransactions.

Real-World Use Cases

Remittances: Low-cost cross-border transfers.
Global Payments: Transactions without reliance on traditional banks.
Embedded Finance: Integrate stablecoin-based payments directly into products.
Microtransactions: Ideal for digital content or in-game payments.
Agentic Commerce: Instant payments for autonomous transaction systems.
Tokenized Deposits: On-chain interbank settlements.

Key Features

1. Specialized Payment Capabilities

Built-in tools like memo fields and batch transfers streamline financial operations.

Embedded finance through stablecoin-compatible programmable payments.
Low-fee microtransactions for digital goods and on-demand services.
Autonomous agentic commerce for AI-driven transactions.
Secure on-chain tokenized deposits for client funds.

2. Speed and Reliability

100,000+ TPS with sub-second finality.
Real-time global payments.

3. Predictable, Low Fees

Transactions payable in any stablecoin.

4. Built-in Privacy Measures

Compliance-preserving confidentiality for sensitive transaction data.

Technical Specifications

Fee Flexibility: Pay transaction fees in any stablecoin.
Dedicated Payment Lane: Low-cost, isolated transaction flow.
Stablecoin Interoperability: Native swaps supported.
Batch Transfers: Send multiple transactions simultaneously.
Block/Allow Lists: Compliance-ready permissions.
Memo Fields: ISO 20022-compatible for off-chain reconciliation.

What Sets Tempo Apart

Tempo is an EVM-compatible Layer-1 built specifically for payments, not to replace general-purpose chains.

Dedicated low-cost payment channel
Stablecoin neutrality
Native stablecoin exchange
Low latency and high throughput
Compliance-focused architecture

Developer Access & Adoption

Tempo is permissionless and neutral, meaning anyone can build on it. It’s currently being tested for cross-border payments, B2B transactions, remittances, and e-commerce.

A private testnet is available to selected partners and developers who can apply for access.

Roadmap & Launch

Priority testnet access for selected partners.
Public launch timeline to be announced; inquiries open via official channels.

Validator Nodes

Initially, validator nodes will be operated by design partners, transitioning later to a permissionless model.

Summary

Tempo Network delivers a fast, low-cost, and secure blockchain infrastructure purpose-built for high-volume payments. Developed alongside leading fintech and AI companies, it’s positioned to power the next generation of global financial transactions.

Official Links

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