Tempo, a fast-rising blockchain infrastructure startup backed by Stripe, has closed a massive $500 million Series C funding round, according to people familiar with the matter. The round was led by Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Capitaland Silicon Valley investment firm Greenoaks, with participation from existing investors Founders Fund, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), and Stripe Ventures.
The deal values Tempo at $8.1 billion, nearly tripling its valuation in under a year and positioning it as one of the most valuable blockchain infrastructure companies in the world. The fundraising comes at a time when many crypto startups have struggled to raise capital, signaling renewed investor confidence in enterprise-grade blockchain platforms—especially those playing outside the volatile crypto trading and token speculation space.
What Tempo Does
Founded in 2021, Tempo is building scalable blockchain infrastructure for global payments and enterprise settlement systems. Its platform enables instant, low-cost settlement of financial transactions across borders using stablecoins and tokenized assets, with built-in compliance and anti-money-laundering (AML) layers. 
Tempo’s mission is to modernize the global financial plumbing—the outdated and expensive settlement systems that international banks still rely on, like SWIFT.
The company has positioned itself not as a crypto exchange or gaming chain, but as a core payments network, offering:
- Cross-border real-time settlement
- API-based blockchain payment rails for global banks
- Stablecoin issuance and treasury management tools
- Tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs)
- Regulated on/off-ramps for fintechs
Strategic Partners and Growth
Tempo already counts Stripe, Shopify, Visa partners, and two Fortune 50 banks among its customers, according to insiders. It processes more than $12 billion in annualized transaction volume, a figure that has reportedly doubled each of the last three quarters.
The company has secured licenses in Europe, Singapore, the UAE, and recently applied for a U.S. federal trust charter, which would allow it to operate nationally under U.S. banking oversight.
Tempo CEO Eli McKenna said in a private investor memo leaked to industry media:
“Blockchain payments are no longer theoretical. They are happening at scale, and they are faster, cheaper, and more secure than legacy systems. Tempo is building the settlement layer of the new internet economy.”
Why Thrive Capital Joined the Deal
Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Capital has been selectively investing in fintech infrastructure firms with decade-scale potential. Its portfolio includes Stripe, Nubank, Plaid, Deel, OpenAI, and Airtable.
A person close to Thrive commented:
“Tempo isn’t a crypto company—it’s an internet-age financial network. This is Stripe meets SWIFT on blockchain rails. We believe Tempo will power trillions of dollars in settlement over the next decade.”
Greenoaks Capital—known for high-conviction investments in companies like Snowflake, Discord, and Robinhood—co-led the round. Existing backers Founders Fund and a16z increased their stakes.
Why This Round Matters
The financing comes in the middle of a massive regulatory and political shift in global finance. Tokenized assets, stablecoin usage, and cross-border remittances using blockchain rails are accelerating, especially after:
- PayPal launched PYUSD stablecoin
- BlackRock and Franklin Templeton moved billions into tokenized funds
- Visa and Mastercard quietly began blockchain settlement pilots
- The EU approved MiCA, the world’s first crypto regulatory framework
Tempo is strategically positioning itself as the institutional settlement layer in this new global system.
Tempo’s Business Model
Tempo makes money through:
| Revenue Stream | Description |
|---|---|
| Settlement Fees | Business customers pay per-transaction |
| Network Access Fees | Enterprise API and licensing |
| Treasury Services | Stablecoin custody and liquidity |
| Compliance Services | KYC/AML integration |
| Tokenization | Asset issuance and maintenance |
Plans for the $500 Million
Tempo will use the new capital to accelerate its expansion across Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, regions where cross-border remittances remain costly and inefficient.
Funding Allocation:
- $150M – Regulatory approvals and banking licenses
- $120M – Engineering and network scaling
- $100M – Strategic acquisitions of regional fintechs
- $80M – Global expansion and partnerships
- $50M – Compliance infrastructure and audits
Tempo also plans to launch its own compliant settlement blockchain next year—an enterprise-grade Layer 2 that integrates on-chain compliance by default.
Tempo Is Growing Fast—But Faces Battles Ahead
While Tempo is one of the fastest-scaling firms in blockchain, it faces increasing competition from Circle, Ripple, Fireblocks, Visa Direct, and even central bank digital currency (CBDC) projects.
Analyst Ryan Watkins at Syncracy Capital warns:
“Tempo is executing, but regulatory navigation and stablecoin legal frameworks will define who wins this market. Scale alone won’t be enough.”
Conclusion: A New Giant in Blockchain Payments
Tempo is no longer an upstart—it is now one of the most heavily funded financial infrastructure companies of the decade. With Stripe’s backing, Kushner’s Thrive Capital leading, and global expansion underway, Tempo is emerging as one of the clearest institutional bets on blockchain as the future of money movement.
This $500 million round isn’t just a funding milestone—it’s a signal: blockchain for real finance is moving from hype to infrastructure.
