Tempo, a Layer-1 blockchain co-developed by Stripe and Paradigm, has launched a new feature called "Zones" designed to bring bank-style privacy to public stablecoin networks. While Zones allow enterprises to hide sensitive data like payroll and treasury activity from the public ledger, the move has ignited a fierce debate. Critics argue that the "operator-centric" design—where a central entity (like a bank) can see all transactions and suspend transfers—reintroduces the very middlemen crypto was meant to replace. However, supporters see it as the only realistic way to bridge the gap between traditional corporate compliance and the efficiency of public blockchains.