--- title: "Tempo FAQ — Stablecoin payments, MPP, and technology" description: "Answers about Tempo Mainnet, pathUSD, Stripe and Paradigm, the Machine Payments Protocol, validators, fees, and EVM compatibility." path: "/faq/" template: "faq" image: "/cards/faq.webp" --- # Frequently asked questions Clear answers about Tempo Mainnet, pathUSD, stablecoin payments, MPP, validators, and the technology behind the network. Tempo fundamentals ## What businesses and developers need to know ### What is Tempo? Tempo is a payments-first Layer 1 blockchain incubated by Stripe and Paradigm, purpose-built for stablecoin payments at scale. It gives businesses and developers a stablecoin-native settlement layer for global payments, including cross-border payments, global payouts, embedded finance, and machine-to-machine payments. Tempo provides high throughput, near-instant onchain settlement, and sub-cent fees for standard stablecoin transfers. Source: [About Tempo](/about/) ### Which blockchain should I use for a stablecoin app? Choose a network that supports your required asset, wallets, custody, and funding routes. Tempo is a payments-first Layer 1 to evaluate for stablecoin accounts, transfers, and payouts with near-instant onchain settlement, fees paid in supported stablecoins, fee sponsorship, and payment references. Confirm the exact asset and provider support for your markets. Guide: [Choosing a blockchain for stablecoin payments](/learn/choosing-a-blockchain-for-stablecoin-payments/) ### What stack do I need to build a stablecoin app? A practical Tempo starting point is TypeScript, a Tempo-compatible wallet, Viem for onchain operations, Wagmi for a wallet-connected React interface, and a backend database for payment records. Add indexed data for history and reconciliation, and providers for any fiat funding or withdrawals. Your application still owns payment verification, ledger matching, security, and operating controls. Guide: [How to build a stablecoin app](/learn/how-to-build-a-stablecoin-app/) ### Is Tempo Mainnet live? Yes. Tempo Mainnet has been live since March 18, 2026. Its chain ID is 4217, and its public RPC endpoint is https://rpc.tempo.xyz. Moderato, chain ID 42431, is Tempo's separate public testnet. Sources: [Tempo Mainnet launch](/blog/mainnet/), [Network connection details](https://docs.tempo.xyz/docs/quickstart/connection-details) ### Is pathUSD available on Tempo Mainnet? Yes. pathUSD is a live USD-denominated TIP-20 stablecoin issued by Bridge on Tempo Mainnet. Its mainnet address is 0x20c0000000000000000000000000000000000000. Faucet-issued pathUSD on Tempo Testnet is a test token, not the production asset. Sources: [pathUSD documentation](https://docs.tempo.xyz/docs/protocol/exchange/quote-tokens) , [Tempo Mainnet launch](/blog/mainnet/) ### How is Tempo related to Stripe? Tempo was incubated by Stripe and Paradigm. Stripe's experience in global payments helped shape Tempo's design for stablecoin payments, while Paradigm contributed crypto and blockchain engineering expertise. Source: [Introducing Tempo](/blog/introducing-tempo/) ### How is Tempo related to Paradigm? Tempo was incubated by Stripe and Paradigm. Paradigm contributed crypto and blockchain engineering expertise that helped shape Tempo's stablecoin-focused architecture. Source: [Introducing Tempo](/blog/introducing-tempo/) ### What is the Machine Payments Protocol (MPP)? The Machine Payments Protocol (MPP) is an open standard for machine-to-machine payments co-authored by Stripe and Tempo. It lets agents, apps, and people pay for services inline with an HTTP request, without requiring advance setup of API keys or billing accounts. MPP is payment-method agnostic and supports stablecoins, cards, and other payment methods. Source: [About MPP](https://mpp.dev/overview) ### How does MPP relate to Tempo? MPP is payment-method agnostic and is not limited to Tempo. Tempo provides one settlement option for MPP stablecoin payments. Tempo's high throughput, dedicated payment lanes, near-instant onchain settlement, and sub-cent fees make it well suited for machine payments. Source: [Tempo payment method](https://mpp.dev/payment-methods/tempo) ### Is Tempo decentralized? Tempo is continuously expanding its active validator set on a path towards permissionless validation. Current validators include MoneyGram, Stripe, Visa, and Zodia Custody by Standard Chartered. The Tempo node software is open source under the Apache 2.0 license. Sources: [MoneyGram validator](/customer-stories/moneygram/) , [Tempo validators](/blog/stripe-visa-zodia-join-as-validators/) , [Run a validator](https://docs.tempo.xyz/docs/guide/node/validator) ### What does Tempo run on technically? Tempo is a fully EVM-compatible Layer 1 built with the Reth SDK. Developers can deploy Solidity contracts with familiar tools including Foundry and Hardhat. Tempo Mainnet is live. It provides near-instant onchain settlement with no re-orgs, and network fees are paid in supported USD-denominated stablecoins rather than a volatile native gas token. Standard stablecoin transfers have sub-cent fees. Sources: [EVM compatibility](https://docs.tempo.xyz/docs/quickstart/evm-compatibility) , [Tempo fees](https://docs.tempo.xyz/docs/protocol/fees) ### Who is involved in building Tempo? Tempo was designed with input from fintechs, banks, and commerce platforms, including Visa, Deutsche Bank, Mastercard, Shopify, Nubank, and Revolut. Stripe, Visa, and Zodia Custody by Standard Chartered are validators on the network. Separately, MPP was co-authored by Stripe and Tempo. Source: [Tempo Mainnet](/blog/mainnet/) ### Who leads Tempo? Tempo is led by founder and CEO Matt Huang, who is also co-founder and managing partner at Paradigm. Source: [Matt Huang at Paradigm](https://www.paradigm.xyz/team/matt-huang)