UBS has joined the public testnet launch of Tempo, a blockchain designed to support stablecoin-native payments with deterministic settlement and predictable, low fees.
The testnet enables developers to build and trial payment applications using core features intended to address challenges that general-purpose blockchains often face, particularly for financial workloads.
Tempo provides dedicated payment lanes, reserving blockspace at the protocol level for payments instead of letting them compete with other network activity.
Users can pay transaction fees directly in USD-denominated stablecoins, eliminating reliance on volatile gas tokens and allowing applications to operate entirely in the same currency as the underlying flows.
The network also includes a native decentralised exchange optimised for stablecoins and tokenised deposits, facilitating cross-stablecoin payments and consolidating on-chain liquidity.
Transfers support structured metadata, simplifying reconciliation with existing accounting and enterprise systems, while fast Byzantine fault-tolerant consensus provides block finality in around half a second.
UBS is among a group of early design partners validating payment workloads on Tempo, alongside companies spanning banking, commerce, and technology sectors.
The testnet provides a platform for use cases such as cross-border remittances, global payouts, embedded finance, microtransactions, agentic commerce, and tokenised deposits.
By integrating Tempo’s features, UBS and other partners can explore payments infrastructure with predictable settlement, stable fees, and real-time reconciliation capabilities.
The testnet launch marks the next stage in Tempo’s development, with continued expansion of infrastructure partnerships, developer tooling, and stress-testing under real payment conditions.
Tempo is built as a permissionless, decentralised chain, with an open-source client that allows anyone to run a node or interact with the network.
Over time, validators from partner organisations and independent operators will join, supporting Tempo’s aim of enabling fast, reliable, and composable payments on-chain.
Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by farknot via Freepik
