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Stripe-led payments blockchain Tempo goes live with AI agent protocol

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Stripe says stablecoin adoption soars despite 'crypto winter'

Tempo, the payments-focused blockchain developed by payments giant Stripe and crypto investment firm Paradigm, launched its mainnet on Wednesday, bringing its stablecoin payment system out of testing and into live use.

The network is built to process large numbers of transactions quickly and at low cost. It aims to make sending money with stablecoins — digital tokens tied to currencies like the U.S. dollar — feel as simple as using a card or bank transfer, but faster and available at all times.

The launch follows a public testnet that began in December, when companies including Mastercard, UBS, Klarna and Visa started experimenting with sending payments on the network. That phase allowed developers to test how stablecoins could handle everyday financial activity, such as payouts and cross-border transfers.

Alongside the mainnet launch, Tempo introduced the Machine Payments Protocol, a system co-developed with Stripe that lets software programs make payments on their own. This allows applications or artificial intelligence (AI) tools to pay for services such as data or computing power without human approval at each step.

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Tempo is also targeting more familiar uses, such as sending money across borders or paying large groups of workers at once. These processes often take days and involve multiple intermediaries.

The launch comes as global payments processing firms increasingly see blockchain rails and stablecoins as a key piece of plumbing for cross-border finances. Mastercard said this week it will acquire stablecoin infrastructure startup BVNK for $1.8 billion to embed digital dollars into its payment network. That deal followed Stripe’s buying of stablecoin startup Bridge and crypto wallet firm Privy.

Tempo also seeks to establish a foothold in agentic finance, an emerging trend in which AI agents use blockchains to pay for certain services that require micro payments.

Read more: Visa is ready for AI agents. So is Coinbase. They’re building very different internets

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Crypto World

CME Group to Launch Avalanche and Sui Futures Contracts

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CME Group to Launch Avalanche and Sui Futures Contracts

CME Group is expanding its suite of cryptocurrency futures products, as more traditional finance (TradFi) entities launch regulated crypto trading products.

On Tuesday, CME Group announced plans to launch Avalanche (AVAX) and Sui (SUI) futures contracts on May 4, pending regulatory review.

Market participants will be able to trade both micro-sized and larger-sized contracts, including AVAX futures sized at 5,000 AVAX and Micro AVAX futures sized at 500 AVAX, as well as SUI futures sized at 50,000 SUI and Micro SUI futures sized at 5,000 SUI.

CME expands altcoin futures lineup

The news follows CME Group’s announcement in January of its plans to launch crypto futures contracts tied to Cardano (ADA), Chainlink (LINK) and Stellar (XLM).

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The move is the latest sign that traditional financial firms are broadening their regulated crypto product offerings.

CME Group’s continued expansion of its crypto derivatives suite reflects “growing demand for regulated, institutionally-sound products in this asset class,” said Justin Young, CEO and Co-founder of Volatility Shares.

During an earnings call in early February, CME Group CEO Terry Duffy said the exchange is mulling plans to launch its own digital token that could operate on a decentralized network.

CME Group is the largest derivatives exchange by volume, and reported a record average daily trading volume of 28.1 million contracts in 2025, according to a Jan. 7 announcement.

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Related: Crypto exchanges gain as tokenized commodity market climbs to $7.7B

CME Group prepares to launch 24/7 trading for crypto products

More TradFi entities are exploring ways to issue tokenized investment products with 24/7 trading. CME said on Feb. 19 that its cryptocurrency futures and options products will begin trading 24/7 on May 29.

Unlike traditional stocks and equities constrained to trading hours, cryptocurrencies are natively tradable 24/7 through cryptocurrency exchanges and decentralized venues.

On March 24, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) announced it was partnering with tokenization platform Securitize to mint blockchain-based shares of stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), Cointelegraph reported. The initiative is part of its parent company, Intercontinental Exchange’s (ICE) plan for a tokenized securities venue designed for 24/7 trading and instant onchain settlement.

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Meanwhile, crypto exchanges are also venturing into tokenized TradFi products. Coinbase launched 24/7 stock perpetual futures for non-US traders on March 20, offering cash-settled exposure to major US stocks and indices, including Apple and Nvidia.

Crypto exchanges Binance and Kraken have also launched tokenized perpetual futures trading for non-US traders, along with other offshore platforms.

Magazine: Can Robinhood or Kraken’s tokenized stocks ever be truly decentralized?

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