Crypto Tech Developments Accelerate as Tempo Testnet Launches and ZKsync Plans 2026 Shutdown

The crypto industry saw a wave of major technical updates this week, led by the launch of Tempo’s public testnet. Tempo, a payments-focused blockchain backed by Stripe and Paradigm, opened its network for real-world experimentation as it aims to make stablecoin transactions faster, cheaper and scalable for mainstream use. New partners including Klarna, Kalshi, Mastercard and UBS join early collaborators such as Deutsche Bank, Visa, Shopify, OpenAI and Nubank. Built for high-volume throughput, Tempo charges roughly one-tenth of a cent per transaction in USD-based stablecoins, eliminating the need for a volatile gas token. As global stablecoin adoption grows — a market now exceeding $300 billion — Tempo is positioning itself as a core infrastructure for B2B, P2P and cross-border payments.

Matter Labs also announced plans to sunset ZKsync Lite in early 2026. The first version of its Ethereum layer-2 network served as a proof-of-concept for zero-knowledge rollups before the launch of the more advanced ZKsync Era in 2023. ZKsync Lite will remain operational, with withdrawals to Ethereum still available, and a full migration roadmap expected next year.

Blockstream introduced a major upgrade to the Green mobile app, enabling trustless atomic swaps between the Lightning and Liquid networks. Users can now pay Lightning invoices directly from Liquid balances without managing channels or liquidity. The process remains self-custodial, secured through hash-locked transactions that either complete or automatically revert.

Axelar revealed AgentFlux, an open-source AI framework designed to run agentic automation locally, preventing private key and client-data exposure to cloud systems. By splitting tool-selection and execution into two lightweight models, Axelar reports a 46% improvement in tool-calling accuracy, offering institutions a more secure route to onchain automation.

Additional industry developments include Superstate’s new onchain equity issuance platform and BitMine Immersion Technologies’ growing ETH treasury, now exceeding 3.2% of the token’s circulating supply. Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers continue to debate crypto market structure, with regulators voicing concerns over investor protection, tokenized securities and systemic risk.