Payments-focused blockchain Tempo is making a $25 million strategic investment in infrastructure startup Commonware to accelerate the development of modular blockchain networks. The partnership goes beyond capital, as Tempo will integrate Commonware’s open-source tools and become a core contributor to the project.

This deep technical collaboration is designed to let Tempo’s engineers focus on building specialized payment features rather than foundational components. Commonware’s technology is expected to help Tempo achieve transaction finality below 250 milliseconds on its globally distributed payments system through innovations in consensus, cryptography, and networking.

A Shift from Monolithic Systems

According to Commonware founder Patrick O’Grady, traditional one-size-fits-all blockchain frameworks stifle innovation by forcing developers to compromise on performance and functionality. His team’s solution is the Commonware Library, a collection of discrete, remixable components—or primitives—for core functions like consensus, networking, and storage.

This modular approach allows development teams to build custom blockchain stacks without starting from scratch. O’Grady explained that the partnership allows Tempo to direct its research toward “differentiated payment experiences” while Commonware provides the “state-of-the-art primitives for everything else.”

In return, Commonware will gain invaluable operational data from Tempo’s high-stakes, real-world payments environment. This feedback loop will be used to continuously refine and harden its open-source components for the entire developer community.

Meet the Partners

Commonware, founded in 2024, first drew attention with Alto, a lightweight blockchain prototype designed to showcase its modular primitives. The company’s early momentum was fueled by a $9 million seed round co-led by Haun Ventures and Dragonfly, with support from prominent figures like Avalanche’s Kevin Sekniqi and Solana’s Mert Mumtaz.

Tempo has established itself as a major layer-1 network focused on stablecoin settlement and cross-border payments. The company was recently valued at approximately $5 billion following a $500 million fundraising round led by Thrive Capital and Greenoaks.