Tempo debuts mainnet and machine payments layer for autonomous agents

Tempo has launched its mainnet, positioning itself as infrastructure for real-world payments at internet scale, as stablecoins move deeper into global commerce.

The network, developed by payments giant Stripe and crypto investment firm Paradigm, is designed to deliver instant settlement, predictable low fees, high throughput, and continuous availability, addressing limitations in existing blockchains that struggle with payment-heavy workloads.

Alongside the launch, Tempo introduced the Machine Payments Protocol, an open standard for programmatic payments co-authored with Stripe.

The protocol enables machines and services to request, authorize, and settle payments automatically, removing the need for custom billing systems across platforms. It is designed to be payment-rail agnostic, supporting stablecoins, cards, and other methods, with extensions already implemented by partners including Visa and Lightspark.

The system is built around the rise of agent-driven commerce, where autonomous software executes workflows that require continuous transactions. In these environments, a single process may involve dozens or hundreds of micro-payments across services.

Tempo addresses this with session-based payments that allow funds to be allocated upfront and streamed in real time, reducing the need for individual on-chain transactions and enabling high-frequency, low-value transfers at scale.

Tempo also launched a payments directory featuring more than 100 integrated services, allowing developers to monetize APIs and infrastructure while enabling agents to transact seamlessly across providers. Early integrations include platforms such as Alchemy, Dune Analytics, and other data and compute providers.

The infrastructure is designed to support both emerging and traditional payment use cases, including global payouts, cross-border remittances, embedded finance, and tokenized deposits.

Since its testnet launch in December, Tempo has worked with partners across financial services and technology, including Anthropic, DoorDash, Mastercard, Nubank, OpenAI, Ramp, Revolut, Shopify, Standard Chartered, and Visa.