Tempo Testnet Unlocks Key Payment Features
Tempo, the layer-1 blockchain from Stripe and Paradigm, launched its first public testnet on Tuesday. Developers and users can now run nodes, sync the chain, and test features such as dedicated payment lanes, stablecoin-native gas fees, and a built-in decentralized exchange for stable assets.
The platform emphasizes instant settlement, predictable low fees, and metadata for payments and transfers, addressing gaps in general-purpose blockchains for financial use cases. Modern wallet signing and deterministic finality complete the initial feature set, with plans for infrastructure partners, developer tools, and load testing ahead.
The @tempo public testnet is live!https://t.co/cVSeWeN32g
— Patrick Collison (@patrickc) December 9, 2025
Design Partners Expand Amid $5 Billion Valuation
Tempo revealed its testnet four months after unveiling the project and three months post a $500 million funding round at $5 billion valuation. Early design partners Deutsche Bank, Standard Chartered, Shopify, and OpenAI now share space with newcomers Mastercard, UBS, Kalshi, and Klarna. Klarna, an EU-licensed buy-now-pay-later firm, issued a USD-pegged stablecoin on Tempo last month, marking the first integration with a digital bank. Georgios Konstantopoulos, Paradigm’s CTO, spotlighted browser-based stablecoin minting on X, though mainnet liquidity and collateral details remain unspecified. This momentum positions Tempo to challenge stablecoin infrastructure on networks like Ethereum and Solana.
Meanwhile, Ethereum developer Federico Carrone warns that the growing corporate influence of venture capital firm Paradigm, evident in funding, projects like Reth, and the payments-focused Tempo blockchain with Stripe, poses a significant “tail risk” to Ethereum’s decentralisation. Carrone argues that Paradigm’s profit-driven incentives could compromise the ecosystem’s community values and philosophical mission, highlighting the challenge of protecting decentralised networks from powerful financial interests.