The platform Tempo, developed by Stripe and Paradigm, has activated the mainnet of its L1 blockchain. The project also introduced an open protocol for machine transactions (MPP), created in collaboration with the fintech giant.

This new blockchain is designed to handle a high volume of transactions. Alongside the launch, the team unveiled a catalog of over 100 services that have already integrated Tempo's solutions, including Alchemy, Dune Analytics, and Merit Systems.

Funding and Partners

In October 2025, Tempo raised $500 million in a Series A funding round, achieving a valuation of $5 billion. Investors included Thrive Capital, Greenoaks, Sequoia Capital, Ribbit Capital, and SV Angel. Initially, the startup was incubated by Stripe and Paradigm, but they did not participate in the latest round.

The public testnet operated since December. During this time, major players from the commerce and finance sectors joined the ecosystem, including Anthropic, DoorDash, Mastercard, Nubank, OpenAI, Revolut, Shopify, and Visa.

These companies are testing the use of stablecoins for cross-border transfers, global payments, and tokenized deposits.

Machine Payment Protocol

A key feature of the launch is the implementation of the MPP standard. This allows software agents and services to automatically process payments. The protocol's code is publicly available.

MPP is not limited to the Tempo blockchain; the standard is compatible with various financial gateways:

  • Visa has adapted it for card payments;
  • Stripe has integrated it for wallets and its platform;
  • Lightspark has implemented it for Bitcoin payments via Lightning Network.

The protocol supports a "session" feature for continuous payments. An AI agent reserves funds in advance and spends them as services are consumed. This eliminates the need to confirm each on-chain transaction—the system simply aggregates thousands of microtransactions into one final transfer.

Recall that in February, Stripe announced a preliminary version of a tool for autonomous machine transactions.

Click to Pay: The History of Micropayments from W3C to Lightning Network and x402