Tempo Raises $500M as Stripe and Silicon Valley Double Down on Stablecoins

TLDR

• Tempo raises $500M to take on Ethereum, Solana, and stablecoin giants.
• Backed by Stripe and Paradigm, Tempo eyes a new era in stablecoin payments.
• Silicon Valley fuels Tempo’s $5B blockchain vision for real-world finance.
• Stripe-backed Tempo to rival Tether, Circle with stablecoin-first network.
• OpenAI, Visa, and Shopify join Tempo’s mission to reshape payment rails.

Tempo, a payments-focused blockchain project developed by Stripe and Paradigm, has raised $500 million in Series A funding. The round values Tempo at $5 billion, positioning it as one of the largest blockchain ventures in recent years. Backers include Thrive Capital, Greenoaks, Sequoia, Ribbit Capital, and SV Angel, while Stripe and Paradigm did not contribute to the round.

Stripe Backs Blockchain Expansion with Tempo’s High-Value Launch

Stripe continues its push into digital finance by supporting Tempo, a Layer 1 blockchain built for real-world financial services and high-volume payments. The network is optimized for stablecoin transactions and is compatible with Ethereum, offering seamless integration for existing blockchain developers. As part of this broader crypto infrastructure play, Stripe aims to modernize settlement systems globally.

With Tempo, Stripe targets long-established players like Ethereum and Solana, while also offering a corporate alternative to Circle and Tether. Stripe’s recent acquisitions of Bridge and Privy strengthen its position in the stablecoin space. These moves signal a determined shift towards owning every layer of the crypto technology stack.

Tempo has secured support from design partners including OpenAI, Shopify, Visa, and Deutsche Bank, highlighting its strategic industry alignment. These partnerships help Tempo build early credibility and operational momentum as it readies for market entry. Though its launch date remains undisclosed, Tempo is expected to support multiple stablecoins for gas fees.

Paradigm and Thrive Shape Tempo’s Stablecoin Vision

Paradigm’s Matt Huang leads the Tempo initiative, while continuing his role on Stripe’s board, reinforcing strong governance ties. Thrive Capital and Greenoaks led the funding round, marking a significant push by generalist firms into blockchain infrastructure. Their participation signals growing confidence in stablecoins as an emerging foundation for global payments.

Paradigm has played a central role in shaping Tempo’s roadmap alongside Stripe, with a shared vision for financial decentralization. Unlike other corporate chains, Tempo remains stablecoin agnostic, allowing flexibility for future growth and token compatibility. The project’s technical direction is grounded in open, high-performance blockchain architecture.

Dankrad Feist, a senior researcher at the Ethereum Foundation, has joined Tempo as a senior engineer to support technical development. His experience adds depth to Tempo’s protocol design and reinforces its commitment to open, permissionless systems. With this addition, Tempo aligns closer to Ethereum ideals, while delivering faster settlement and lower fees.

Silicon Valley Accelerates Crypto Push Through Stripe and Tempo

Tempo’s emergence reflects a broader trend where Silicon Valley firms are aggressively backing crypto-native infrastructure. Stripe, now valued at $92 billion, is leading this charge through targeted acquisitions and blockchain development. The launch of Tempo positions Stripe as a full-stack provider in the stablecoin ecosystem.

In recent months, Stripe acquired Bridge for $1.1 billion and crypto-wallet provider Privy, expanding its capabilities in digital assets. The company also integrated Coinbase’s Base Layer 2 to streamline blockchain payments. These strategic moves place Tempo at the center of Stripe’s expanding crypto payments strategy.

While Stripe remains quiet on Tempo’s token plans, the project continues to build momentum among key financial and tech partners. Tempo has not confirmed a specific release timeline but has gained early traction across several sectors. As stablecoins gain regulatory clarity, Tempo stands ready to challenge incumbents with a corporate-first approach.

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