Tempo, the payments-focused blockchain developed by payments giant Stripe and crypto investment firm Paradigm, launched its mainnet on Wednesday, bringing its stablecoin payment system out of testing and into live use.
The network is built to process a large number of transactions quickly and at low cost. It aims to make sending money with stablecoins – digital tokens tied to currencies like the US dollar – feel as simple as using a card or bank transfer, but faster and available at any time.
The launch follows a public test network that started in December, where companies including Mastercard, UBS, Klarna and Visa began experimenting with sending payments on the network. That phase allowed developers to test how stablecoins could handle everyday financial activity, such as withdrawals and cross-border transfers.
Alongside the mainnet launch, Tempo introduced the Machine Payments Protocol, a system co-developed with Stripe that lets software programs make payments on their own. This enables applications or artificial intelligence (AI) tools to pay for services such as data or computing power without human approval at each step.
Tempo also targets more familiar uses, such as sending money across borders or paying large groups of workers at once. These processes often take days and involve several intermediaries.
The launch comes as global payment processors increasingly see blockchain rails and stablecoins as an important piece of plumbing for cross-border finance. Mastercard said this week it will acquire stablecoin infrastructure startup BVNK for $1.8 billion to integrate digital dollars into its payments network. This deal followed Stripe’s acquisition of stablecoin startup Bridge and crypto wallet firm Privy.
Tempo is also looking to establish a foothold in agent financing, a new trend where AI agents use blockchains to pay for certain services that require micropayments.
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