Main Points :
- Fireblocks has launched its global stablecoin payments network to streamline compliant, high-speed value transfers across more than 100 countries, connecting 40+ providers and processing over $200 billion monthly in stablecoin flows.
- Stripe (with Paradigm) has unveiled Tempo, a payments-optimized Layer-1 blockchain, currently running on a private testnet, offering over 100,000 TPS, sub-second settlement, stablecoin gas payments, a built-in AMM, EVM compatibility, and strong enterprise design partners.
- Both platforms aim to outmaneuver traditional networks (Visa, Mastercard, Swift) and crypto-native challengers (Ripple, Stellar) by offering programmable, low-cost, fast, and compliant rails for stablecoin transfers globally.
- Institutional interest in using stablecoins for cross-border settlement, B2B, remittances, and embedded finance is surging, with many firms exploring such infrastructure.
- Challenges remain: liquidity fragmentation, compliance complexity, and achieving true interoperability across chains and providers.
1. Fireblocks Network for Payments: A “Stablecoin-SWIFT”
Fireblocks has rolled out its Network for Payments, a unified infrastructure connecting on- and off-ramps, liquidity partners, banks, and stablecoin issuers with embedded compliance through a single integration. It spans 100+ countries, includes 40+ vetted providers, and already processes $200 billion in monthly stablecoin payment flows.
Fireblocks’ senior vice president, Ran Goldi, frames the network as enabling “programmable, compliant, real-time interoperability,” offering a unified API and pre-integrated partner ecosystem to overcome fragmented provider landscapes and reduce onboarding overhead. Compared to legacy payment systems, Fireblocks provides faster, more transparent settlement, akin to building a digital asset analog of SWIFT.
The platform also simplifies compliance requirements, embedding AML/KYT, sanctions screening, wallet verification, and travel-rule connectivity, for seamless scaling across jurisdictions. Fireblocks also leverages broader ecosystem integrations, like with Circle (USDC) and Bridge, to offer multi-token support and liquidity flexibility. Emerging fintechs, such as Yellow Card across Africa, benefit by enabling compliant, real-time remittances and merchant payouts in new markets.
2. Stripe and Paradigm’s Tempo: A Payments-First Layer-1 Blockchain
Simultaneously, Stripe and crypto VC Paradigm have publicly launched Tempo, a novel Layer-1 blockchain purpose-built for stablecoin payments. Operating initially on a private testnet, Tempo supports cross-border payouts, B2B transfers, remittances, and embedded finance use cases.
Tempo targets over 100,000 transactions per second with sub-second finality, facilitated by a specialized payments lane that separates routine transfers from complex smart contract flows. Its gas fees are paid in any stablecoin through a built-in automated market maker, enabling “stablecoin neutrality”—no forced reliance on native tokens.
Built using the Ethereum-compatible Reth client, Tempo maintains full EVM support. It also incorporates opt-in privacy and compliance hooks, aiming to meet enterprise requirements for transparency and regulation.
The project is backed by high-profile design partners: Anthropic, OpenAI, Deutsche Bank, Visa, Shopify, Revolut, Nubank, DollarDash, Standard Chartered, Coupang, and more. Matt Huang (Paradigm) is leading Tempo, which is positioned as an independent entity with plans to transition from permissioned validators to a permissionless model in the future.
Stripe CEO Patrick Collison characterizes Tempo as a payments-oriented L1 optimized for high-scale financial services, complementing other blockchain infrastructure rather than competing directly.
3. Strategic Shift in Stablecoin Infrastructure
Together, Fireblocks and Tempo represent a broader strategic pivot: mainstream institutional players and fintechs are investing significantly in infrastructure that leverages stablecoins as real settlement rails. This responds to the drawbacks of legacy networks—high fees, slow settlement, lack of programmability—and taps into the growing market for stablecoin use.
According to a May 2025 Fireblocks survey, 90% of firms are using or exploring stablecoin programs, driven primarily by cross-border settlement needs. Moreover, the total stablecoin market capitalization has soared to around $280 billion in August 2025, up from earlier in the year.
Meanwhile, institutions like Visa and Mastercard are expanding their stablecoin offerings (e.g., Visa supporting USDG, PYUSD, EURC) and fintechs like Rain are issuing stablecoin-linked Visa cards, backed by recent funding rounds. Legacy banks are also exploring interoperable stablecoin solutions to avoid deposit migration and fee losses.
4. Emerging Challenges and the Road Ahead
Despite the progress, challenges persist. Fragmented liquidity across providers and chains complicates seamless settlement. Compliance frameworks vary across jurisdictions, requiring robust, scalable governance. Interoperability remains a key technical hurdle—stablecoins and rails must interact smoothly without sacrificing decentralization or control.
Additionally, consumer loyalty to existing payment systems and risk aversion—notably concerns over fraud protection and reversing transactions—pose adoption challenges. Central banks question stablecoins’ candidacy as money due to issues like convertibility and “singleness”.
Nonetheless, business leaders increasingly view stablecoins as programmable money—especially for programmable contracts, microtransactions, agentic payments, and global treasury settlement—marking a potential turning point in payments infrastructure evolution.
Summary
In sum, the stablecoin payments infrastructure landscape is undergoing a profound transformation. Fireblocks’ global payments network offers compliance-first, unified rails across fiat and blockchain ecosystems. Tempo represents a fintech-first, payments-native Layer-1 blockchain designed to meet enterprise throughput and settlement speed needs. These developments signal that stablecoins are transcending speculative use, emerging as foundational building blocks for next-gen financial rails. As infrastructure matures, partnerships deepen, and regulatory clarity evolves, stablecoin-based systems are poised to claim a central role in global payments. [Insert Image – Diagram of the two infrastructures side by side
Placement: After the subheading “2. Stripe and Paradigm’s Tempo” and before section 3.
Description: A clear comparative diagram labeled “Fireblocks Network vs. Tempo blockchain,” showing Fireblocks’ ecosystem integration (providers, banks, compliance layer) and Tempo’s Layer-1 architecture (EVM, AMM, TPS metric, enterprise partners). (Image file: stablecoin_rails_comparison.png)
