Tether Bets Big on Rumble — Even as the Platform Struggles to Stay Afloat

Alternative media platform, Rumble, who has built its brand around free speech and anti-censorship values, is facing one of its toughest years yet. Its stock has plunged more than 45% since January, its user base has shrunk, and investors have grown increasingly skeptical.

Yet despite these warning signs, Tether—the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin, USDT—has doubled down with a massive $775 million investment, signaling an unlikely vote of confidence in a platform many consider a sinking ship.

For Tether, the move is more than financial. It’s ideological. Rumble’s alignment with the principles of freedom, decentralization, and financial sovereignty mirrors Bitcoin’s ethos—making it a natural testing ground for crypto integration at scale.

Over the past year, Rumble has been aggressively rebranding itself as a crypto-friendly platform to win back creators and audiences. It started with the development of its own crypto wallet, in partnership with MoonPay, designed to simplify how users transact and store digital assets.

Now, Rumble is preparing to roll out its boldest feature yet: Bitcoin tipping. Announced by CEO Chris Pavlovski at the Plan B Forum in Lugano, Switzerland, the system will allow Rumble’s 51 million active users to reward content creators directly in Bitcoin—offering a decentralized alternative to traditional payment processors.

Tether CTO Paolo Ardoino praised the initiative, calling it one of the largest potential user bases for Bitcoin and stablecoin adoption. For him, Rumble is more than a platform—it’s a testing ground for what decentralized creator monetization could look like on a global scale.

“We can find use cases for Bitcoin and stablecoins that truly empower creators and protect them from being debanked for their opinions.”

A Risky Bet on Ideology and Innovation

But ideals alone don’t drive stock prices—or user growth. Despite its crypto pivot, Rumble’s financial and operational indicators are flashing red. The company’s user base fell from 59 million in Q1 to 51 million in Q2, and its market capitalization continues to erode.

Even after adding $25 million in Bitcoin to its balance sheet as part of a 2024–2025 accumulation strategy, investors remain unconvinced that crypto alone can reverse the decline.

For Tether, however, this may be a long-term strategic play. With USDT’s dominance already entrenched in emerging markets, Rumble offers a gateway into the U.S. creator economy—a demographic ripe for crypto integration but still largely untapped. If Rumble succeeds, Tether gains cultural legitimacy in the West.

Can Rumble Really Compete with YouTube?

The upcoming Bitcoin tipping rollout in December 2025 will be Rumble’s defining moment. If creators adopt it, Rumble could position itself as a crypto-native alternative to YouTube, with payments immune to banking restrictions and platform politics.

But if the rollout fails, Rumble risks becoming another overhyped “Web3 pivot” story—where idealism outpaces execution. While Tether’s investment underscores faith in crypto’s cultural power, Rumble must still prove it can convert ideology into engagement and technology into traction.

Tether’s gamble on Rumble feels like a test of crypto’s relevance in mainstream culture. Betting on a struggling platform might seem risky, but it also reflects crypto’s deeper mission—to empower voices outside traditional systems. Whether this partnership rescues Rumble or sinks with it, one thing is clear: the fight to decentralize the creator economy is only just beginning.