Visa has joined Stripe and Zodia Custody by Standard Chartered as an anchor validator on the Tempo blockchain network. The move places the payments giant alongside two other major financial institutions in supporting the Layer-1 protocol designed for real-time payments and agentic commerce.
All three firms have served as design partners for Tempo since its inception. The network, a joint venture between Stripe and venture capital firm Paradigm, aims to facilitate large-scale payment flows using blockchain infrastructure.
Visa managed the configuration of its validator node in-house following six months of collaboration with Tempo engineers. The company intends to use the role to strengthen its existing blockchain-based services.
“We’ve spent years building our expertise in blockchain, and now we’re expanding that work by running critical blockchain infrastructure ourselves,” said Visa Head of Crypto Cuy Sheffield.
Sheffield added that operating a validator allows Visa to extend its commitment to security and reliability into blockchain networks, specifically supporting stablecoin payment systems.
Institutional expansion for Tempo
The addition of Visa and Zodia Custody marks a significant milestone for institutional adoption of blockchain-based payment infrastructure. The participating firms collectively process trillions of dollars in annual payment volume across global markets.
Tempo launched its mainnet in March and recently introduced the Machine Payments Protocol (MPP). This open standard allows AI agents to execute autonomous payments for services.
As a lead validator, Visa will earn rewards in stablecoins for processing transactions into blocks. The network's team noted that the validator's operational scale is a key asset for the protocol's growth.
"Visa processes billions of transactions across nearly every country in the world. That kind of operational rigor is exactly what we look for in validators on Tempo," said Tempo’s go-to-market lead, Nischay Upadhyayula.
