Tempo, a blockchain platform focused on payments, is leading a $25 million strategic investment into infrastructure startup Commonware. The partnership aims to accelerate the development of modular blockchain networks, with Tempo integrating Commonware’s open-source components for consensus, networking, and storage to boost its own payment system’s performance.

Announced on November 7, the deal goes beyond a simple capital injection. Tempo will become a core contributor to the Commonware Library, a collection of standalone, reusable blockchain primitives. This collaboration is designed to let Tempo’s engineers offload the work of building base-layer components and concentrate on developing unique payment features.

The Tempo team said the integration is expected to help achieve transaction finality of under 250 milliseconds on its globally distributed payments system, a performance leap driven by innovations in consensus, cryptography, and networking.

A Challenge to Monolithic Systems

According to Commonware founder Patrick O’Grady, traditional, one-size-fits-all blockchain frameworks limit innovation. He believes these monolithic systems force developers to compromise on performance and functionality, hindering the creation of truly specialized applications. The Commonware Library is positioned as the solution, offering a toolkit of “remixable” components that allow teams to build custom technology stacks without starting from scratch.

O’Grady described the relationship as one where Tempo focuses on “differentiated payment experiences” while Commonware supplies the “state-of-the-art primitives for everything else.”

A Symbiotic Partnership

Once live on Tempo’s network, Commonware will gather crucial operational data from a high-stakes, real-world payments environment. This feedback will be funneled back into the open-source library, continuously refining and hardening its components for all users.

Founded in 2024, Commonware first drew attention after launching Alto, a lightweight blockchain prototype built to showcase its modular components. The company’s early development was supported by a $9 million seed round co-led by Haun Ventures and Dragonfly.

Tempo’s involvement brings significant weight to the partnership. As a major layer-1 network focused on stablecoin settlement and cross-border payments, Tempo was recently valued at approximately $5 billion following a $500 million funding round led by Thrive Capital and Greenoaks.