Stripe Launches Tempo, a Payments-Focused Blockchain for High-Throughput Stablecoin Transactions with Visa, Deutsche Bank, and Standard Chartered as Initial Design Partners.

Stripe launches Tempo, a payments-focused blockchain for high-throughput stablecoin transactions, with major financial institutions Visa, Deutsche Bank, and Standard Chartered as design partners. Tempo addresses infrastructure limitations encountered by Stripe and aims to process over 100,000 transactions per second with sub-second finality. The blockchain features fiat-denominated fees, supports dedicated payment lanes, and is designed for real-world financial applications. Stripe's crypto infrastructure buildout completes with Tempo, following strategic acquisitions of Bridge and Privy.

Stripe has officially launched Tempo, a payments-focused Layer 1 blockchain designed for high-throughput stablecoin transactions. The blockchain enters private testing with major financial institutions including Visa, Deutsche Bank, and Standard Chartered serving as initial design partners [1].

Tempo addresses infrastructure limitations that Stripe encountered as stablecoin usage expanded across its platforms. Existing blockchains process between 5 and 1,000 transactions per second, while Stripe handles peaks exceeding 10,000 TPS during high-volume periods and aims to bring even more than that with Tempo [1].

The blockchain features fiat-denominated fees rather than blockchain-specific tokens, which addresses a key friction point for traditional financial institutions. Users can pay gas fees in any stablecoin through an enshrined automated market maker system [1].

Tempo is purpose-built for stablecoins and real-world payments, born from Stripe’s experience in global payments. The blockchain supports dedicated payment lanes, transaction memos, access lists, and opt-in privacy features, which are specifically designed for financial applications [1].

Stripe incubated Tempo in partnership with crypto venture capital firm Paradigm, positioning it as an independent company. Matt Huang, Paradigm’s co-founding managing partner and Stripe board member, leads Tempo as CEO while maintaining his venture capital role [1].

The design partner list extends beyond traditional finance to include technology companies such as Anthropic, OpenAI, DoorDash, and Shopify, as well as financial services firms like Mercury, Nubank, and Revolut. This diverse coalition aims to ensure that Tempo serves a broad range of payment use cases, from microtransactions to enterprise payroll [1].

Tempo targets 100,000+ transactions per second with sub-second finality while maintaining Ethereum Virtual Machine compatibility. The launch follows Stripe’s methodical crypto expansion strategy. The company acquired stablecoin infrastructure firm Bridge for $1.1 billion and crypto wallet developer Privy, creating end-to-end payment solutions spanning wallets, stablecoins, and now blockchain processing infrastructure [1].

Stripe’s blockchain development completes a comprehensive crypto infrastructure buildout that began with strategic acquisitions. The Bridge acquisition provided stablecoin payment capabilities across 70 countries, while Privy added wallet infrastructure for seamless user onboarding [1].

References:
[1] https://cryptorank.io/news/feed/0fda9-stripes-tempo-begins-private-testing-with-financial-giants-visa-deutsche-bank-standard-chartered