Stripe Developing "Tempo" Blockchain in Partnership With Paradigm

Stripe, the fintech giant valued at nearly $92 billion, is reportedly in the early stages of building a new blockchain called "Tempo," according to a recently surfaced job posting from the Blockchain Association, a crypto lobbying group [1]. The job, for a product marketing specialist, describes Tempo as a “high-performance, payments-focused blockchain” and indicates it is currently operating in stealth mode with a team of five. The firm is developing the blockchain in collaboration with Paradigm, a prominent crypto venture capital firm whose co-founder and managing partner, Matt Huang, also sits on Stripe’s board [1].

According to four sources familiar with the project, Tempo is being developed as a layer 1 blockchain, meaning it is not built on top of existing protocols [1]. The blockchain is compatible with Ethereum’s programming language, positioning it to leverage the widespread developer ecosystem already established around Ethereum [1]. The project is being discussed in private, with all sources requesting anonymity due to the confidential nature of the information [1].

This move represents the latest in a series of strategic investments by Stripe into the crypto space. Earlier this year, the company acquired Bridge, a stablecoin infrastructure firm, for $1.1 billion, and Privy, a crypto wallet developer, though the price for the latter was not disclosed [1]. These acquisitions have allowed Stripe to control key parts of the stablecoin ecosystem, including issuance platforms and wallet storage [1]. A proprietary blockchain like Tempo would extend Stripe’s control to the transaction processing layer, potentially strengthening its position in the payments industry.

Stripe has not publicly explained its rationale for developing Tempo, nor has it indicated whether it plans to issue a native cryptocurrency to support the network, a common practice among blockchain protocol founders [1]. However, given the company’s recent acquisitions and its history of innovation in the payments sector, the development of Tempo suggests a long-term vision for Stripe to integrate crypto-based solutions more deeply into its offerings [1].

The broader industry context for this move includes growing interest in stablecoins—cryptocurrencies pegged to assets like the U.S. dollar—as an alternative to traditional financial systems. Proponents argue that stablecoins can reduce cross-border payment costs, lower transaction fees, and offer faster settlement times [1]. This trend has gained momentum in recent months, particularly following the federal regulatory guidance introduced by the GENIUS Act signed into law by Donald Trump in July [1].

Stripe’s CEO, Patrick Collison, has previously testified before Congress that stablecoin technology has matured enough to attract meaningful business adoption [1]. With a new blockchain under development, Stripe may be positioning itself to lead the next phase of the fintech-crypto convergence [1]. As the regulatory environment continues to evolve, Stripe’s move could signal broader adoption of stablecoins and blockchain-based solutions across the financial services industry [1].

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Source: [1] Exclusive: Fintech giant Stripe building 'Tempo' blockchain with crypto VC Paradigm (https://fortune.com/crypto/2025/08/11/stripe-blockchain-tempo-paradigm/)