New public chain Tempo: Developed in collaboration with Stripe and Paradigm, it analyzes project analysis and strategic intent.

Author: Zz, ChainCatcher

In August 2025, a job posting briefly published on the website of the crypto lobbying group "Blockchain Association" revealed for the first time that fintech giant Stripe is collaborating with crypto venture capital firm Paradigm to develop a high-performance Layer 1 (L1) blockchain project called "Tempo."

According to Cryptopolitan, although this job posting was deleted shortly after it was published, the relevant information still indicates that Stripe is preparing its independent blockchain infrastructure.

Project Technology and Positioning

According to the disclosed information, Tempo's positioning is very clear: an independent L1 blockchain designed specifically for enterprise-level payment scenarios, rather than a general-purpose smart contract platform.

Its target users are not native cryptocurrency traders, but rather the Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) or treasury management departments of large multinational corporations. The job postings indicate that candidates should have "marketing experience aimed at Fortune 500 audiences," suggesting that Tempo's target users are the financial decision-makers of large multinational companies. This means that the project focuses not only on technological performance but also emphasizes meeting the needs for corporate payment efficiency and cost control. It aims to address the pain points of traditional cross-border payments. Currently, this field is still dominated by the SWIFT system—namely, the messaging network that transmits payment instructions between global banks. Due to reliance on multiple intermediary banks, this system has long suffered from issues of lengthy processing times, high costs, and lack of transparency.

Technically, Tempo pursues "high performance." According to job postings and industry analysis, its technical goals include increasing transaction throughput (TPS, or transactions per second) and achieving fast finality (Time to Finality, TTF) to meet the requirements of enterprise-level payments for settlement speed and certainty.

The emergence of Tempo will directly compete with the L1 public chain "Arc" launched by stablecoin issuer Circle. Both aim at the enterprise payment market, signaling that the competition for stablecoin settlement layers is shifting from the application layer to the infrastructure layer.

Strategic Choice: Why Stripe Built L1 from Scratch Instead of Using L2

Stripe is built on a large merchant base and deep experience. Its exploration in the crypto space has undergone a clear evolution from cautious experimentation to decisive action. After initially abandoning due to the volatility and inefficiency of Bitcoin, Stripe has come to deeply understand that innovating payments must involve mastering underlying technologies.

Stripe chooses to build its own L1 to have control over the transaction settlement network, fee model, and compliance path.

Choosing L2 means building the lifeblood of the business on another network. While it allows for quick launch, it must endure multiple risks of the underlying network: the unpredictability of the cost market—soaring Ethereum Gas fees may lead to uncontrollable payment costs; reliance on governance and technical roadmap—any upgrade disputes of the underlying L1 may be transmitted to L2; performance bottlenecks—the performance ceiling of L2 is constrained by L1.

By building its own L1, Stripe transforms from a "tenant" to a "landlord," gaining sovereignty over defining the rules.

At the same time, Tempo is the final piece of the full-stack layout for Stripe. Previously, Stripe had carried out a series of acquisitions:

• Application Layer: According to The Block, last October, Stripe acquired the stablecoin infrastructure company Bridge for $1.1 billion, gaining control of the API for stablecoin issuance and management.
• User Layer: In June of this year, acquired wallet infrastructure provider Privy, whose core value lies in simplifying the process for users to enter the web3 world.
• Settlement Layer: Completes the bottom layer of the trading settlement network through Tempo.

The intention of this layout is for Stripe to evolve from a "channel vendor" to a "platform owner" with a complete track. This is crucial for serving large enterprises and financial institutions.

The role of Paradigm as a co-builder

Paradigm is not only an investor in this collaboration but also a deep "co-builder." Its co-founder, Matt Huang, also serves as a director at Stripe, responsible for guiding its crypto strategy. This close relationship ensures that Paradigm's cutting-edge ideas in underlying protocol design can be directly infused into Tempo.

The design philosophy of Tempo seems to be putting into practice the ideas presented by Paradigm in their article "The L1 Dilemma" published on June 20. The reason new L1s can succeed is by leveraging and challenging the "dogmas" of existing L1s. The Tempo project may serve as a textbook example of this theory:

• Native Token: Tempo may not issue speculative native tokens, and transaction fees are paid directly in stablecoins to circumvent regulatory risks and focus on the payment utility of the network. This is a complete subversion of the standard L1 economic model.
• Validator Network: Tempo may adopt a validator network comprised of licensed entities to ensure the stability and compliance required by enterprise clients.
• EVM Compatibility: It is reported that Tempo will be compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) to lower the barriers for developers and leverage the existing developer ecosystem.

Advantages and Challenges

According to current intelligence analysis, Tempo's biggest advantage lies in relying on Stripe's existing large merchant network, which solves the "cold start problem" faced by new blockchains. Stripe can smoothly guide its existing customers to the Tempo network, creating a network effect.

The main challenge comes from direct competition with Circle. The technological paths of both parties may converge, and the key to success will depend on market entry strategies and distribution capabilities. Circle's advantage lies in its integration of native USDC and deep relationships within the crypto industry, while Tempo's advantage is its existing network of Web2 enterprise clients that provides a foundation for promotion.

In conclusion: The signal conveyed by the entry of Web2 giants

Stripe's move to build its own L1 marks a deepening integration of Web2 giants with blockchain technology. It also resembles a strategy following the passage of the "GENIUS Act." Stripe is personally getting involved, as it is laying out a compliant stablecoin infrastructure, which may convey several significant signals:

First of all, the market's value narrative may partially shift from "pure decentralization" to "compliant asset flows." The core of Tempo is to provide a secure and efficient carrying network for stablecoins.

Secondly, the public chain track may experience "divergence". The future market may be divided into two categories: one represented by Ethereum, which is an open and crypto-native "permissionless chain"; the other represented by Tempo, which serves regulated commercial activities as an "enterprise-specific chain".

Finally, investment opportunities may focus on the infrastructure of the "compliant stablecoin ecosystem." Stripe's layout indicates that as the GENIUS Act is implemented, projects that can provide key technologies for stablecoins (such as compliant issuance, transaction monitoring, wallet security, and asset management) may become valuable niches.