Sonic vs Tempo

Sonic is an ultra‑fast EVM Layer‑1 claimed to reach 400k TPS and sub‑second finality via a custom SonicVM and DAG‑based consensus dubbed Tempo. Blocks are final once two‑thirds of stake attest, and state is stored in an in‑memory ledger that snapshots to disk every epoch. The project focuses on GameFi and real‑time social dApps, with an incentive testnet launched in May 2025.

Tempo is a layer 1 blockchain incubated by Stripe and Paradigm and purpose-built for payments. It is EVM-compatible and designed for high throughput and low, predictable fees that can be paid directly in stablecoins, without a volatile native gas token. Tempo provides payment-oriented features such as dedicated payment lanes, memo fields for reconciliation and built-in stablecoin exchange, aimed at use cases like global payouts, remittances, embedded finance and agentic payments. It is developed with design partners from payments, fintech and e-commerce.