Tempo may be positioning itself as a bridge between stablecoins and everyday global payments
Stripe and crypto investment firm Paradigm have taken a key step toward launching their payments-focused blockchain, Tempo. The project announced that its first public testnet is now live, allowing developers and infrastructure providers to begin experimenting with the network ahead of a full launch.
The @tempo public testnet is live!https://t.co/cVSeWeN32g
— Patrick Collison (@patrickc) December 9, 2025
The testnet is open source and available to anyone interested in running a node or syncing with the chain. Tempo said this phase will focus on scaling the network, improving reliability, and testing how the system performs under real payment activity. More tools and partners are expected to be added in the coming months.
Tempo is designed specifically for financial use cases rather than general crypto activity. Current features on the testnet include payment-specific transaction lanes, fees paid directly in stablecoins, a built-in exchange for stable assets, and support for detailed payment data. The network also promises fast final settlement and modern wallet signing to support smoother user experiences.
One notable feature allows users to create stablecoins directly through a web browser using Tempo’s own TIP-20 token standard. While the testnet supports token creation, details around liquidity rules and collateral requirements for the main network have not yet been finalized.
The testnet launch comes several months after Tempo was first revealed and shortly after the project raised $500 million at a reported $5 billion valuation. Early design partners included major names such as OpenAI, Deutsche Bank, Standard Chartered, and Shopify. Since then, additional companies like Mastercard, UBS, Klarna, and Kalshi have joined the effort.
Klarna recently became the first digital bank to issue a dollar-backed stablecoin on Tempo, signaling growing interest from traditional finance and payments firms.
