Stripe-Backed Tempo Opens Public Testnet for Stablecoin Payments

Source: CoinEdition Original Title: Stripe Backed Tempo Opens Global Public Testnet For Stablecoin Payments Original Link:

Tempo Blockchain Launches Public Testnet for Stablecoin Settlement

Tempo, a blockchain for payments backed by major financial partners, announced that its public testnet is now open to developers worldwide. The move builds on the concept unveiled earlier, with a functioning network that companies can begin experimenting with immediately.

The network is expected to connect with existing payments infrastructure once it reaches mainnet in 2026.

The goal is to make stablecoins practical instruments for real-world commerce.

A Payments-First Chain Built for Predictability

Tempo has a payments-first design that separates transfer activity from the rest of the network. The goal is to prevent the fee spikes and congestion that often arise on general-purpose blockchains whenever volumes jump.

The chain reserves its own blockspace for transfers, allowing stable settlement times and transaction costs measured around 0.1 cent.

By removing reliance on a volatile native token, Tempo allows fees to be paid in familiar USD stablecoins such as USDT and USDC.

The network supports microtransactions, global remittances, tokenized deposits, and agentic payments straight out of the box. Its early technical suite includes stablecoin swap tools, passkey authentication, and full EVM compatibility.

Tempo currently relies on four rotating validators operated by the team, though it plans to incorporate design-partner validators and later open the validator set entirely.

A Growing Roster of Global Partners

UBS, Cross River Bank, Mastercard, Klarna, and prediction-market operators joined the testnet opening along with earlier participants such as Deutsche Bank, Nubank, OpenAI, and Anthropic.

Firms including DoorDash, Shopify, Visa, Coupang, Revolut, and Standard Chartered contributed design feedback during the network’s early phases.

Brex, Ramp, Payoneer, Figure, Persona, and Coastal Bank entered after the initial announcement and are exploring cross-border payments and usage-based billing models on Tempo.

The team’s aim is to close the developer-experience gap for anyone planning real-world stablecoin applications. The focus includes teams moving billions across borders, banks testing tokenized deposits, and AI companies exploring agentic flows.

The main focus of this project will be the United States, where institutional interest in crypto is increasing.