Dan Romero leaves Farcaster for Tempo, the Stripe/Paradigm stablecoin L1 going live in Q2
Feb 9, 2026 with Dan Romero
Key Points
- Dan Romero exits Farcaster to lead Tempo, a Stripe and Paradigm-backed Layer 1 blockchain for stablecoin payments launching in Q2 2026.
- Tempo is already partnering with DoorDash and Klarna, positioning stablecoin rails as infrastructure for autonomous AI agents to discover and execute transactions.
- Romero's move signals renewed conviction in stablecoins as near-term crypto utility, particularly following regulatory tailwinds from the Genius Act.
Summary
Dan Romero left Farcaster, which was sold last month, to join Tempo, a Layer 1 blockchain built for stablecoin payments. Stripe and Paradigm incubated the network, which goes live in Q2 2026, about a year from inception.
Tempo is already working with payment companies including DoorDash and Klarna. Romero sees stablecoin rails as infrastructure for AI agents. Native stablecoin settlement would let agents autonomously discover and execute transactions without friction. An agent finds a stablecoin-compatible service, signs up, and executes the transaction programmatically.
Romero's move from social protocol infrastructure at Farcaster to payments infrastructure at Tempo reflects renewed conviction in stablecoins as a near-term utility case for crypto. The Genius Act passage has provided significant regulatory tailwind.