TLDR

Stripe and Paradigm launched the Tempo mainnet for live stablecoin payments.
Tempo processes high transaction volumes at low cost on its blockchain network.
Mastercard, UBS, Klarna, and Visa tested the network during its public test phase.
Tempo introduced a Machine Payments Protocol for AI-driven transactions.
The protocol allows software and AI agents to send payments without human approval.
Mastercard announced a $1.8 billion deal to acquire stablecoin firm BVNK.

Stripe and Paradigm have launched the Tempo mainnet to power stablecoin payments at scale. The release moves the network from testing into live production use. The system also introduces a protocol that allows AI agents to send payments without human approval.

The companies activated the network on Wednesday after a public test period that began in December. During that phase, firms tested stablecoin transfers for payouts and cross-border transactions. Tempo now processes live transactions on its blockchain infrastructure.

Stripe and Tempo activate mainnet for stablecoin payments

Stripe and Paradigm built Tempo to handle high transaction volumes at low cost. The network enables users to send stablecoins tied to the U.S. dollar. It aims to match card and bank transfer simplicity while offering constant availability.

The public testnet included Mastercard, UBS, Klarna, and Visa. These firms experimented with stablecoin transfers for daily financial activity. Tempo said the testing phase confirmed readiness for production workloads.

Tempo targets cross-border payments and large batch payouts. These transfers often take days and pass through multiple intermediaries. The blockchain network seeks to complete such payments faster and around the clock.

Mastercard announced this week that it will acquire BVNK for $1.8 billion. The company said it plans to embed digital dollars into its payment network. That deal followed Stripe’s acquisitions of Bridge and Privy.

Stripe and Tempo designed the infrastructure to support global payment flows. The companies structured the system to lower processing friction. They positioned the network as a stablecoin settlement layer.

Machine Payments Protocol enables AI-driven transactions

Tempo introduced the Machine Payments Protocol alongside the mainnet launch. Stripe co-developed the system to allow software to send payments independently. The protocol lets applications pay for data and computing power without manual approval.

Tempo said the system supports automated micro payments between digital services. AI tools can transfer funds directly on-chain for specific tasks. The protocol operates within the Tempo blockchain environment.

Stripe confirmed that the protocol integrates with its broader payments stack. The company stated that developers can embed automated payment functions into applications. This setup allows AI agents to execute transactions under predefined rules.

Tempo also seeks to build infrastructure for agentic finance use cases. In this model, AI agents interact with blockchain systems to complete payments. The companies said the protocol supports such automated financial activity.

The post Stripe launches Tempo mainnet with AI payment protocol appeared first on Blockonomi.

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Filed under: Bitcoin - @ March 18, 2026 3:27 pm