$Tempo
A job description provides insight into the next step that Stripe is preparing: a new blockchain named Tempo. According to a Fortune report from August 11, the cryptocurrency lobbying group Blockchain Association recently posted a new job offer on its website, indicating that Stripe is hiring for a product marketing position for the new chain.
Image source: Blockchain Association
The Tempo plan unveiled: Stripe's secret collaboration with Paradigm
According to the job description, Tempo is described as "an efficient blockchain focused on payments, built in collaboration with Paradigm and Stripe," compatible with Ethereum and developed by a five-person team in "stealth mode."
Additionally, when Fortune contacted both companies for confirmation but received no response, the application had already expired, but the job details are still available online, suggesting that Stripe's new chain could soon be launched.
Vertical integration: the pieces of the puzzle Bridge, Privy, and Tempo
In the future, Tempo does not represent a one-off attack, but rather the final piece of the underlying puzzle of Stripe's stablecoin strategy.
In October 2024, Stripe acquired Bridge, a stablecoin infrastructure company, for $1.1 billion; in June of this year, it took the wallet developer Privy under its wing. Bridge provides stablecoin issuance and integration capabilities, Privy manages the user experience of the wallet, and now, thanks to the chain-level processing of Tempo, Stripe can have full control, from token creation to transaction settlement.
In the future, client companies may be able to conduct stablecoin transactions through Stripe's unified interface, potentially bypassing the SWIFT network for instant cross-border settlement.
Politics and market environment: The stablecoin craze fuels interest
We know that stablecoins are seen as a tool to reduce the costs of cross-border payments, and regulators in various countries have begun to provide clear frameworks. Notably, the GENIUS Act, signed by former U.S. President Trump in July, which defined the status of stablecoins at the federal level for the first time, thus lifting legal uncertainties regarding their future adoption by businesses.
Tech giants have also recently tested stablecoin services one after the other, demonstrating that demand is no longer limited to the crypto-native ecosystem. Patrick Collison, CEO of Stripe, was direct during a hearing in the House of Representatives last March:
"As the underlying technology matures, we are seeing significant business interest in stablecoins."
This passage now appears as a subtle prelude to the discreet launch of Tempo.
The training effect of Tempo
Tempo has not yet announced a specific launch date, but the context, from the acquisition chain to recruitment news, is clear enough to indicate an intention. The next competitive stakes in the payment sector may shift from card processing fees to who can provide the fastest, cheapest, and most reliable stablecoin settlement service.
Stripe chose to build its own blockchain rather than simply integrate with an existing public chain, sending a clear message: to maintain its dominance in the future global payment battlefield, mastering every critical path, from the end user to the validation node, is essential. A rethinking of payments, driven by stablecoins, is now underway.
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