Stripe & Paradigm Stealthily Disrupt Payments with ‘Tempo’ Blockchain Project

Silicon Valley’s worst-kept secret? Stripe just went full crypto.

The payments giant is quietly building ‘Tempo’—a blockchain infrastructure play with Paradigm, the $8B crypto VC fund. No press releases, no hype—just leaked GitHub commits and hushed boardroom whispers.

Why Wall Street should sweat:

This isn’t another stablecoin sideshow. Tempo’s architecture suggests Stripe’s gunning for cross-border settlement—the $23T/year gravy train that banks protect like medieval fiefdoms. Paradigm’s involvement signals serious cryptographic firepower behind the scenes.

The cynical take:

Another ‘blockchain solution’ from finance bros who just discovered Merkle trees? Maybe. But when Stripe moves, merchants follow—even if half won’t understand the tech powering their new ‘Web3 checkout flow’.

One thing’s clear: the fiat-to-crypto ramp just got a turbocharged redesign. Banks, start your litigation engines.

Stripe Eying for Layer 1 Blockchain Infrastructure 

Sources say Tempo will be a LAYER 1 blockchain, built from scratch rather than on top of another network, and will be compatible with Solidity, Ethereum’s programming language. The posting was, however, taken down after Fortune contacted Stripe and Paradigm for comment.

This MOVE is the latest in Stripe’s growing push into crypto and stablecoins. Last October, Stripe bought Bridge, a company that helps businesses use and issue stablecoins, for $1.1 billion. In June, it also acquired Privy, a crypto wallet developer. These deals have given Stripe more control over stablecoin payment infrastructure, from issuing coins to building wallets. 

Stablecoins Gain Ground

Interest in stablecoins, cryptocurrencies pegged to stable assets like the U.S. dollar, has surged in the past year, especially after the U.S. passed the GENIUS Act in July, which created new federal rules for the industry. Big tech companies like Meta, Apple, and Airbnb are exploring stablecoin payments, but Stripe appears to be moving faster.

While Stripe hasn’t publicly explained why it’s building Tempo or whether it will create its own cryptocurrency, having its own blockchain could give it greater control over processing stablecoin transactions and reduce payment costs for businesses worldwide.

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