Tempo, the stablecoin-centric blockchain backed by Stripe and Paradigm, has officially opened its public testnet, marking a significant step toward its anticipated mainnet release in 2026. The company stated that the testnet is now accessible to developers and partners worldwide, offering an early look at infrastructure designed to modernize blockchain-based payments through real-time settlement and stablecoin-native tools.
Tempo positions itself as a purpose-built solution for long-standing issues in crypto payments. Its team emphasized that the platform was engineered specifically for stablecoin settlement rather than serving as a general-purpose chain. The aim is to deliver fast and predictable transaction confirmation, consistent fees, and a dedicated environment where payment flows remain unaffected by unrelated on-chain activity such as NFT mints or complex smart contract executions.
A $5 Billion Vision Backed by Major Industry Players
The project has been under development since its introduction in September and received considerable investor support soon after. Tempo secured a $500 million Series A round in October 2025, placing its valuation at $5 billion. Observers note that Stripe’s participation adds both credibility and potential scale, given the payments giant’s transaction volume of $1.4 trillion in 2024 and its partnerships with major global corporations, including NVIDIA, PepsiCo, and Comcast.
The newly launched testnet showcases a set of features designed to appeal to payment providers, developers, and enterprises experimenting with stablecoin-powered systems. Among these features are isolated payment lanes intended to reduce congestion, deterministic settlement with sub-second finality, a stablecoin-based gas design that avoids exposure to volatile tokens, and a decentralized exchange optimized for stable assets.
Additional capabilities include metadata support, scheduled payments, batch transfers, and protocol-native memo fields, all aimed at expanding real-world payment versatility. The platform also integrates modern wallet signing mechanisms to enhance user experience and security.
One noted highlight comes from Paradigm’s CTO, who pointed to the ability for users to mint stablecoins directly from a browser through the newly introduced TIP-20 token standard. Tempo’s client software is being developed under an Apache open-source license, and its compatibility with Solidity is expected to lower the barrier for Ethereum-based developers migrating to the network or building new applications.
Tempo’s testnet is live!
Any company can now build on a payments-first chain designed for instant settlement, predictable fees, and a stablecoin-native experience.
Tempo has been shaped with a wide group of partners validating real workloads including @AnthropicAI, @Coupang,… pic.twitter.com/tHcjuBRGZb
— tempo (@tempo) December 9, 2025
Growing Network Support and Expanding Partnerships
The current iteration of the testnet operates with four internal validators, but Tempo plans to onboard additional validators from its design partners before eventually opening access to the broader community. Since its initial reveal, the ecosystem has expanded rapidly, with more than 40 infrastructure partners now supporting developer tooling, fiat ramps, and DeFi integrations.
Tempo’s list of design partners spans a broad range of fintech, enterprise technology, and financial institutions. Early collaborators such as OpenAI, Shopify, Standard Chartered, Deutsche Bank, Visa, and DoorDash have been joined more recently by Mastercard, UBS, Klarna, and Kalshi. Industry analysts view these partnerships as signs of growing institutional interest in stablecoin-based settlement systems.
Klarna has already begun testing Tempo’s capabilities by issuing a USD-pegged stablecoin, reportedly becoming the first digital bank to do so on the network. This development is seen as an early demonstration of how financial institutions may leverage Tempo’s architecture to introduce new payment and settlement products.
Building Toward a Stablecoin-Native Future
With its testnet launch, Tempo is positioning itself as a next-generation payments infrastructure designed to blend blockchain efficiency with stability, predictability, and enterprise-grade functionality. As the platform evolves toward its 2026 mainnet timeline, it continues to attract attention from developers and global institutions exploring streamlined, stablecoin-driven financial services.