Simon Taylor, a longtime figure in fintech and blockchain, is taking on a new challenge as he joins Tempo, a payments-focused Layer 1 blockchain incubated by Stripe and Paradigm. Taylor announced that he will make Tempo his full-time role while shifting to an advisor position at Sardine, where he has been a strategic advisor for the past three years. He is also known as the founder of Fintech Brainfood, co-founder of Global Digital Finance, and for his nearly six years at 11:FS, where he served as Co-Founder and Head of Ventures. His early career at Barclays gave him exposure to blockchain research and mobile delivery at a time when major banks were first experimenting with distributed ledger technology.
Taylor’s move comes at a time of increased executive activity across fintech and blockchain. Leaders with backgrounds in traditional finance and digital assets are entering new ventures, from Jan-Oliver Sell, former CEO of Coinbase Germany, joining LUKSO as COO, to David Ramil co-founding Willybit with a focus on blockchain payments. For Tempo, Taylor’s blend of entrepreneurial ventures, advisory work, and corporate experience positions him to help shape a Stripe-backed effort aimed at pushing blockchain into mainstream payments—a direction that continues to attract both capital and seasoned leadership.
