Introduction to Tempo

A high-performance blockchain optimized for stablecoin payments at scale

Tempo is a blockchain designed specifically for stablecoin payments. Built for financial institutions, payment service providers, and fintech platforms, Tempo delivers high throughput, predictable low costs, and features that modern payment infrastructure demands.

What makes Tempo different

Tempo introduces payment-specific innovations while maintaining full EVM compatibility, giving you the best of both worlds: familiar Ethereum tooling with purpose-built payment features.

TIP-20 token standard

TIP-20 extends ERC-20 with features designed for payment workflows:

Dedicated payment lanes

Predictable throughput via reserved lanes for TIP-20 transfers, eliminating noisy-neighbor contention from general contract execution

Native reconciliation

On-transfer memos and commitment patterns (hash/locator) for linking to off-chain PII and large data

Built-in compliance

TIP-403 Policy Registry allows single policies shared across multiple tokens, updated once and enforced everywhere

Sub-millidollar fees

TIP-20 transfers target costs below $0.001 per transaction

Learn more about TIP-20.

Low, predictable fees in stablecoins

Users pay gas directly in USD-stablecoins at launch. No need to acquire and manage a volatile native token.

The Fee AMM automatically converts your stablecoin payment to the validator’s preferred stablecoin, providing seamless multi-currency support.

Target costs:

• TIP-20 transfers: < $0.001
• Account creation: ~$0.005
• Transfer to new address: ~$0.006

Tempo Transactions (native smart accounts)

Tempo Transactions provide account abstraction features at the protocol level:

1. Batched payments

   Execute atomic multi-operation payouts for payroll, settlements, and refunds in a single transaction

2. Fee sponsorship

   Apps can pay users’ gas to streamline onboarding and improve user experience

3. Scheduled payments

   Protocol-level time windows for recurring and timed disbursements

4. Modern authentication

   Passkeys via WebAuthn/P256 enable biometric sign-in, secure enclave, and cross-device sync

Learn more about Tempo Transactions.

Performance and finality

Built on Reth SDK

Leverages the Reth SDK, the most performant and flexible EVM execution client

Simplex Consensus

Fast, sub-second finality in normal conditions with graceful degradation under adverse networks (via Commonware)

Coming soon

These features are in development and not yet available on testnet.

• On-chain FX: Non-USD stablecoin support for direct on-chain liquidity; pay fees in multiple currencies
• Native private token standard: Opt-in privacy for balances and transfers coexisting with issuer compliance and auditability

What makes Tempo familiar

Tempo is fully compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), targeting the Osaka hardfork:

Same languages

Write contracts in Solidity, Vyper, or any EVM language

Same tools

Use Foundry, Hardhat, Remix, and all your favorite frameworks

Same APIs

All Ethereum JSON-RPC methods work out of the box

While the execution environment mirrors Ethereum’s, Tempo introduces some optimizations for payments. See EVM compatibility for details.

Architecture overview

Key components

• Execution Layer: Built on Reth SDK for high-performance transaction processing
• Consensus Layer: Simplex consensus via Commonware for fast finality
• Precompiles: Enshrined contracts for TIP-20 tokens, fee management, and compliance
• State: Efficient state management targeting 20,000+ TPS

Use cases

Tempo is designed for applications that need to move money at scale:

Payment processors

High-volume payment processing with predictable costs and built-in reconciliation

Fintech platforms

Consumer payment apps with gasless transactions and stablecoin-native fees

Payroll systems

Batch payments for salaries, invoices, and vendor settlements

Remittances

Cross-border transfers with low fees and fast finality

Getting started

Ready to build on Tempo? Here’s what to do next:

Quickstart

Connect to testnet and make your first transaction in 5 minutes

SDK Documentation

Explore TypeScript, Rust, Go, and Foundry SDKs

TIP-20 Guide

Learn about the TIP-20 token standard

Run a Node

Set up your own Tempo node

Network details

Tempo is currently in testnet. Mainnet launch date TBD.

Property	Value
Network Name	Tempo Testnet (Moderato)
Chain ID	42431
Currency	USD
RPC URL	https://rpc.moderato.tempo.xyz
WebSocket	wss://rpc.moderato.tempo.xyz
Block Explorer	https://explore.tempo.xyz

Community and support

Documentation

Comprehensive guides and API references

GitHub

Source code and issue tracking

Website

Learn more about Tempo