Stripe-led payments blockchain Tempo goes live with protocol for AI agents
The Stripe-led blockchain targets fast, low-cost digital payments and a new Machine Payments Protocol that allows AI agents pay autonomously.
By Krisztian Sandor|Edited by Aoyon Ashraf Mar 18, 2026, 2:05 p.m.
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What to know:
- Tempo, a payments-focused blockchain backed by Stripe and Paradigm, has launched its mainnet, bringing its stablecoin payment system out of testing and into live use.
- The network is designed to handle high volumes of low-cost stablecoin transactions and now includes a Machine Payments Protocol that lets software and AI agents pay for services autonomously.
- The debut comes amid a broader push by payments giants like Mastercard and Stripe to integrate stablecoins and blockchain rails into cross-border and everyday financial infrastructure.
Tempo, the payments-focused blockchain developed by payments giant Stripe and crypto investment firm Paradigm, launched its mainnet on Wednesday, bringing its stablecoin payment system out of testing and into live use.
The network is built to process large numbers of transactions quickly and at low cost. It aims to make sending money with stablecoins — digital tokens tied to currencies like the U.S. dollar — feel as simple as using a card or bank transfer, but faster and available at all times.
The launch follows a public testnet that began in December, when companies including Mastercard, UBS, Klarna and Visa started experimenting with sending payments on the network. That phase allowed developers to test how stablecoins could handle everyday financial activity, such as payouts and cross-border transfers.
Alongside the mainnet launch, Tempo introduced the Machine Payments Protocol, a system co-developed with Stripe that lets software programs make payments on their own. This allows applications or artificial intelligence (AI) tools to pay for services such as data or computing power without human approval at each step.
Tempo is also targeting more familiar uses, such as sending money across borders or paying large groups of workers at once. These processes often take days and involve multiple intermediaries.
The launch comes as global payments processing firms increasingly see blockchain rails and stablecoins as a key piece of plumbing for cross-border finances. Mastercard said this week it will acquire stablecoin infrastructure startup BVNK for $1.8 billion to embed digital dollars into its payment network. That deal followed Stripe's buying of stablecoin startup Bridge and crypto wallet firm Privy.
Tempo also seeks to establish a foothold in agentic finance, an emerging trend in which AI agents use blockchains to pay for certain services that require micro payments.
Read more: Visa is ready for AI agents. So is Coinbase. They're building very different internets
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By Olivier Acuna|Edited by Aoyon AshrafMar 17, 2026
World said some estimates suggest agentic commerce could reach $3 trillion to $5 trillion by 2030, with agents accounting for up to 25% of U.S. e-commerce.
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