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# Specifications

Read the specifications for Tempo's tokens, accounts, transactions, fees, blocks, and exchange.

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## Core specifications

[TIP-20 Tokens](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/tip20/spec): Tempo's stablecoin token standard: interfaces, memos, roles, metadata, and policy checks.

[Transfer policies](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/tip403/spec): TIP-403 policy registry that decides who can send and receive a token, plus receive policies.

[Account Keychain](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/transactions/AccountKeychain): Access keys: secondary signing keys for an account, with expiry, scopes, and spending limits.

[Tempo Transactions](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/transactions/spec-tempo-transaction): Transaction encoding, signatures, batching, and validation.

[Transaction fees](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/fees/spec-fee): Fee calculation, token selection, sponsorship, and settlement.

[Fee AMM](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/fees/spec-fee-amm): Converts each user's fee token into the validator's preferred stablecoin, with liquidity accounting and rebalancing.

<span id="network-systems" />

## Blocks and exchange

[Block structure](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/blockspace/overview): Header fields, transaction ordering, and protocol-inserted system transactions.

[Payment lanes](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/blockspace/payment-lane-specification): Payment classification, and a separate block gas limit for non-payment transactions.

[Stablecoin DEX](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/exchange/spec): Order books, swaps, liquidity, and exchange interfaces.

## How protocol changes happen

Tempo Improvement Proposals (TIPs) describe protocol changes. Approved TIPs ship in named network upgrades (hardforks), numbered T0, T1, T2, and onward. Each upgrade activates on Moderato, Tempo's testnet, before mainnet.

A proposal doesn't establish that a feature is active. Check the [network upgrade timeline](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/upgrades) for testnet and mainnet activation, or read the [upgrade process](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/guide/node/upgrade-cadence) for operator guidance.

<span id="specifications-and-source" />

## Tempo Improvement Proposals

TIPs are grouped by the network upgrade that includes them, newest first.

**Network status as of October 29, 2026:** Testnet is on [T13](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/upgrades/t13), activated October 29 at 15:00 UTC. Mainnet is on [T12](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/upgrades/t12); T13 is scheduled for mainnet on November 3 at 15:00 UTC.

This index reconciles the [canonical TIP sources](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/tree/main/tips) with the [network upgrade records](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/guide/node/network-upgrades). Proposal status fields can lag activation, so the upgrade records determine the network status shown here. A meta TIP bundles small fixes that ship in one upgrade, such as [TIP-1036](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/tips/tip-1036) for T2.

### T13

**Active on testnet since October 29; scheduled for mainnet on November 3, both at 15:00 UTC.** [T13 scope, schedule status, and integration notes](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/upgrades/t13).

* [TIP-1096: Multi-block Tempo Imports for Zones](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1096.md)
* [TIP-1098: Nitro-Backed Zone Batch Verification](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1098.md)
* [TIP-1115: Ordered Fallback Fee Tokens](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1115.md)
* [TIP-1119: Explicit block system calls](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1119.md)

### T12

**Active on mainnet and testnet.** [T12 activation and integration notes](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/upgrades/t12).

* [TIP-1006: Burn At for TIP-20 Tokens](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1006.md)
* [TIP-1088: Unify quote/swap fill logic](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1088.md)
* [TIP-1095: Policy-Aware Channel Reserve Transfers](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1095.md)
* [TIP-1106: Expiring Nonce Discriminators](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1106.md)
* [TIP-1116: T12 Hardfork Meta TIP](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1116.md)

### T11

**Active on mainnet and testnet.** [T11 upgrade details](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/upgrades/t11).

* [TIP-1093: Extend Expiring Nonce Window to Five Minutes](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1093.md)
* [TIP-1100: Increase Precompile Input Gas Cost](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1100.md)
* [TIP-1105: T11 Pricing Hardening Meta TIP](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1105.md)

### T10

**Active on mainnet and testnet.** [T10 upgrade details](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/upgrades/t10).

* [TIP-1091: Enshrined ZoneFactory](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1091.md)

### T9

**Active on mainnet and testnet.** [T9 upgrade details](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/upgrades/t9).

* [TIP-1092: TIP-20 Policy IDs in TIP-403](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1092.md)

### T8

**Active on mainnet and testnet.** [T8 upgrade details](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/upgrades/t8).

* [TIP-1042: FeeAMM TIP-403 Policy Exemptions](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1042.md)
* [TIP-1062: Versioned DEX order storage](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1062.md)
* [TIP-1070: Current Committee State](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1070.md)
* [TIP-1075: Deprecate TIP-20 Rewards](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1075.md) — final shutdown, following T7.
* [TIP-1087: V2 DEX order storage with book indexes](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1087.md)

### T7

**Active on mainnet and testnet.** [T7 upgrade details](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/upgrades/t7).

* [TIP-1060: Storage Credits](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1060.md)
* [TIP-1064: StablecoinDEX Order Storage Credits](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1064.md)
* [TIP-1066: TIP-20 Channel Storage Credits](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/upgrades/t7#technical-references)
* [TIP-1067: Dynamic Base Fee](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1067.md)
* [TIP-1075: Deprecate TIP-20 Rewards](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1075.md) — initial deprecation; shutdown completes in T8.

The T7 upgrade record references TIP-1066, but the canonical TIP sources have no file for it. Its link opens the T7 upgrade reference instead.

### T6

**Active on mainnet and testnet.** [T6 upgrade details](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/upgrades/t6).

* [TIP-1028: Address-Level Receive Policies](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1028.md)
* [TIP-1049: Admin Access Keys](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1049.md)

### T5

**Active on mainnet and testnet.** [T5 upgrade details](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/upgrades/t5).

* [TIP-1026: Token Logo URI](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1026.md)
* [TIP-1030: Allow same-tick flip orders](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1030.md)
* [TIP-1033: Two-Hop FeeAMM Routing](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1033.md)
* [TIP-1034: TIP-20 Channel Reserve Precompile](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1034.md)
* [TIP-1035: Implicit Approval List](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1035.md)
* [TIP-1045: Payment Transaction Classification](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1045.md)
* [TIP-1053: Witnesses in Key Authorizations](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1053.md)
* [TIP-1056: Keep the same order ID when flip orders flip](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1056.md)
* [TIP-1057: T5 Hardfork Meta TIP](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1057.md)

### T4

**Active on mainnet and testnet.** [T4 upgrade details](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/upgrades/t4).

* [TIP-1031: Embed consensus context in the block Header](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1031.md)
* [TIP-1046: T4 Hardfork Meta TIP](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1046.md)

### T3

**Active on mainnet and testnet.** [T3 upgrade details](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/upgrades/t3).

* [TIP-1011: Enhanced Access Key Permissions](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1011.md)
* [TIP-1020: Signature Verification Precompile](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1020.md)
* [TIP-1022: Virtual Addresses for TIP-20 Deposit Forwarding](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1022.md)
* [TIP-1038: T3 Meta TIP](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1038.md)

### T2

**Active on mainnet and testnet.** [T2 upgrade details](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/upgrades/t2).

* [TIP-1004: Permit for TIP-20](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1004.md)
* [TIP-1015: Compound Transfer Policies](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1015.md)
* [TIP-1017: Validator Config V2 precompile](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1017.md)
* [TIP-1036: T2 Meta TIP](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1036.md)

### T1

**Active on mainnet and testnet.**

* [TIP-1000: State Creation Cost Increase](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1000.md)
* [TIP-1009: Expiring Nonces](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1009.md)
* [TIP-1010: Mainnet Gas Parameters](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1010.md)

### T0 — launch

**Active on mainnet and testnet.**

* [TIP-0001: Tempo Transaction](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-0001.md)

### Proposals outside activated upgrades

These proposals aren't part of any activated upgrade. A target upgrade in a draft isn't a confirmed activation. `Draft` means the proposal isn't in formal review yet, and `Backlog` means it's deferred. `Withdrawn` and `Cancelled` proposals won't ship. The [TIP process](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/tips/tip-0000) defines each status.

| Proposal | Status | Target upgrade |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [TIP-1001: Place-only mode for next quote token](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1001.md) | Draft | Not assigned |
| [TIP-1002: Prevent crossed orders and allow same-tick flip orders](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1002.md) | Draft | Not assigned |
| [TIP-1003: Client order IDs](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1003.md) | Draft | Not assigned |
| [TIP-1005: Fix ask swap rounding loss](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1005.md) | Draft | Not assigned |
| [TIP-1007: Fee Token Introspection](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1007.md) | Backlog | Not assigned |
| [TIP-1016: Exempt Storage Creation from Gas Limits](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1016.md) | Backlog | Not assigned |
| [TIP-1047: Revert code creation and set code at addresses with TIP-20 prefix](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1047.md) | Draft | Not assigned |
| [TIP-1059: Discounted Pure Payment Transfers](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1059.md) | Withdrawn | None (withdrawn or cancelled) |
| [TIP-1065: Repurpose TIP-20 Balance slots into User State](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1065.md) | Withdrawn | None (withdrawn or cancelled) |
| [TIP-1099: RLP-Encoded Account Keychain Mutations](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1099.md) | Cancelled | None (withdrawn or cancelled) |
| [TIP-1122: Backward compatible SWAPN, DUPN, EXCHANGE](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1122.md) | Draft | Not assigned |
| [TIP-1124: Increase Calldata Floor Cost](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-1124.md) | Draft | Not assigned |

[TIP-0000: TIP Process](https://github.com/tempoxyz/tempo/blob/main/tips/tip-0000.md) defines the proposal lifecycle and isn't part of a network upgrade. Browse [all proposals](https://tips.sh/) for ongoing work.

A Zone is a private ledger of stablecoin balances connected to a `ZonePortal` contract on Tempo. The [Zones protocol reference](https://tempo.xyz/developers/docs/protocol/zones) specifies their behavior and interfaces.