Tether invests heavily! Rumble launches a crypto wallet to bypass banks and tip creators

Rumble and Tether jointly launch Rumble Wallet, a non-custodial crypto wallet integrated into the video platform supporting BTC, USDT, and XAUt for direct tipping. Tether holds a 48% stake in Rumble, providing strategic support, while MoonPay handles fiat and crypto conversions. Creators can receive tips without relying on traditional financial intermediaries, with users maintaining full control of private keys to avoid custodial risks.

Tether’s 48% Stake and Strategic Ambitions

Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski stated that Rumble Wallet combines the platform’s commitment to free speech with the decentralization principles of cryptocurrency. “We are empowering users and creators to participate and financially support the content they love. This aligns with free speech, and all of this is unique to Rumble.”

This partnership is no coincidence. Tether and Rumble have established a deep strategic partnership, with the stablecoin giant holding nearly 104 million shares of Rumble, approximately 48% of the company. This near-half ownership indicates Tether’s strategic importance to Rumble, representing more than just a financial investment but a deep integration into the business ecosystem.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino stated that the launch of Rumble Wallet highlights Tether’s commitment to supporting technologies that enhance user autonomy and free expression. “Rumble Wallet integrates these ideals into a single product, giving hundreds of millions of users more control than ever before—even in the US. We are honored to continue collaborating with Rumble and to push boundaries, spreading freedom and independence across the internet in a decentralized manner.”

Tether’s strategic intent is clear: to promote USDT adoption within the creator economy through partnerships with content platforms. Currently, USDT is mainly used for exchange trading and DeFi protocols, with limited penetration in daily payments and tipping scenarios. If successful, Rumble Wallet could open new use cases for tens of millions of users, significantly enhancing USDT’s utility as a payment tool.

From an ownership perspective, Tether’s 48% stake makes it the actual controlling shareholder of Rumble. This deep binding suggests a long-term, comprehensive partnership, with Rumble Wallet just the beginning. Future integrations may include USDT payments for Rumble Premium memberships, crypto-based advertising purchases, or even Rumble issuing its own creator tokens.

Three Revolutionary Breakthroughs of the Non-Custodial Design

Rumble Wallet is supported by Tether’s wallet development toolkit, enabling users to fully control their digital assets while connecting the platform directly to blockchain-based payment channels. The core feature is its non-custodial design, meaning users always hold their private keys, and neither Rumble nor Tether can freeze or seize user assets.

This design starkly contrasts with traditional centralized wallets. On platforms like YouTube or Twitch, creator tips are stored in platform accounts, which can be frozen or funds withheld at any time. In contrast, Rumble Wallet’s non-custodial approach ensures creators have absolute control over their earnings. Even if Rumble shuts down, creators can still access their assets via private keys.

Three Technical Advantages of Rumble Wallet

Real-time Settlement: Tips are sent instantly via blockchain to creators’ wallets, eliminating the need to wait for monthly platform settlements

Borderless Worldwide: Supports tipping from any country to creators anywhere, with no exchange rate loss or cross-border fees

Multi-Asset Support: BTC is suitable for large tips and store of value, USDT for daily small payments, and XAUt offers gold exposure

MoonPay will provide on-ramp and off-ramp infrastructure, allowing seamless conversion between cryptocurrencies and traditional payment methods like credit cards and PayPal. This addresses the biggest pain point of crypto wallets: enabling users without crypto holdings to participate. Through MoonPay’s fiat channels, users can buy USDT with a credit card for tipping or convert received Bitcoin tips into fiat for bank withdrawals.

This integrated user experience is highly smooth. Creators can perform all operations within the Rumble interface without switching platforms. For users unfamiliar with crypto, this one-stop experience lowers the barrier to entry. In contrast, traditional crypto tipping involves multiple steps: buying tokens on exchanges, transferring to wallets, and sending to creator addresses—complexity that hampers mass adoption.

The Decentralization Revolution in Creator Economy

MoonPay CEO Ivan Soto-Wright commented on this launch, stating that peer-to-peer crypto payments will play a central role in future online economies, and Rumble is one of the earliest major platforms to adopt this model. This addresses core pain points in the creator economy: high platform commissions and payment delays.

On platforms like YouTube, creator tips often incur 30%-45% fees, with the remainder taking weeks or months to withdraw. This severely reduces creators’ earnings and discourages fans from tipping (knowing most of the money is taken by the platform). Rumble Wallet bypasses intermediaries, allowing 100% of tips to go directly to creators. This efficiency boost will attract more creators to migrate to Rumble.

The wallet operates without reliance on traditional financial intermediaries, enabling instant, borderless crypto transactions. For international creators, this solves major cross-border payment issues. Traditional cross-border payments can take days, with fees up to 5%-10%, and some creators in certain countries cannot receive payments at all (due to lack of platform payment channels). Rumble Wallet, based on blockchain technology, allows creators worldwide to receive tips instantly.

From launch, users can tip creators with Bitcoin, USDT, and Tether Gold (XAUt). This multi-asset support meets diverse user needs. Bitcoin suits large tips and long-term holding, USDT for everyday small payments with stable prices, and XAUt allows users to express support with digital gold. This diversification is unmatched by traditional platforms.

Rumble Wallet is directly integrated into the Rumble platform, enhancing direct financial interactions between creators and users. This integration is not only technical but also ideological. Rumble’s core value of free speech attracts many creators who left YouTube due to content censorship. The decentralized nature of crypto wallets aligns perfectly with this philosophy, jointly building a censorship-resistant, decentralized content ecosystem.