Stripe-Backed Tempo Launches Mainnet to Power AI Agent Payments

Tempo Mainnet Goes Live March 18 to Process High-Volume Payments

Tempo, the blockchain network developed by payments giant Stripe and venture firm Paradigm, officially launched its mainnet on March 18, 2026. The network is engineered to process large volumes of low-cost stablecoin transactions with high speed and reliability. This launch moves the project from its experimental phase, which began with a public testnet in December and involved financial institutions like Mastercard, Visa, and UBS, into a live production environment.

Tempo's infrastructure aims to make digital currency payments as seamless as traditional bank transfers or card swipes, but with the added benefits of constant availability and faster settlement. The platform is built to handle both conventional use cases, such as cross-border remittances and large-scale payouts, and the emerging demands of machine-to-machine commerce.

New Protocol Standardizes Payments for Over 100 AI Services

Concurrent with the mainnet launch, Tempo introduced the Machine Payments Protocol (MPP), an open standard co-authored with Stripe to govern autonomous transactions. This protocol enables software programs and AI agents to programmatically request, authorize, and settle payments for services like computing power or data access without requiring human approval for each transaction. To support this ecosystem, Tempo has launched a payments directory with over 100 integrated services from providers including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.

The protocol's design is payment-rail agnostic, allowing it to function across different financial systems. It utilizes "sessions" to allow a stream of micropayments based on predefined limits, an efficient method for high-frequency transactions common in AI-driven workflows. This structure reduces the need for numerous individual on-chain transactions, enabling low-value transfers at scale.

Visa and Lightspark Extend Protocol to Cards and Bitcoin

The Machine Payments Protocol has secured immediate, high-profile integrations that demonstrate its flexibility. Global payments leader Visa is extending MPP to support its traditional card-based payment network, while Lightspark is adapting it for Bitcoin transactions on the Lightning Network. Stripe itself has created support for cards, digital wallets, and other payment methods, establishing a broad foundation for the protocol's adoption.

This launch solidifies a significant trend of major payment processors integrating blockchain technology. The move by Tempo and its partners follows Mastercard's recent plan to acquire stablecoin infrastructure firm BVNK for $1.8 billion. By providing standardized rails for the emerging "agentic economy," Tempo positions itself as critical infrastructure for a future where autonomous software agents are major participants in digital commerce.