Rumble, the popular video streaming service known for its free-speech approach and also as a main competitor to YouTube, plans to revolutionize how creators earn money by introducing cryptocurrency payments directly into its platform.
The Nasdaq-listed platform announced at the Plan ₿ Forum in Lugano, Switzerland, that it will launch crypto-based tipping/payments for its 51 million monthly active users by mid-December. CEO Chris Pavlovski confirmed the platform currently operates in testing mode and will deploy the feature within the coming weeks.
Last year, Tether invested $775 million in Rumble, giving the stablecoin company almost half ownership of the video platform. Now the two are teamed up to launch a new payment/tipping feature. Tether’s CEO, Paolo Ardoino, has been upfront about his goal: he wants to use Rumble’s large U.S. audience to help more people get comfortable with USAT, Tether’s stablecoin designed to comply with American regulations.
Built-In Digital Wallet Goes Live
Rumble Wallet, which operates as a non-custodial system built into the platform, will let users send payments through Bitcoin, Tether’s USDT stablecoin, and Tether Gold (XAUT). The company showcased the working system when Canadian lawyer David Freiheit received the platform’s first Bitcoin tip. This small but significant moment proves that the technology works as intended.
For creators of Rumble, the new development offers something traditional payment systems can’t guarantee: protection from having their money cut off for controversial opinions. Rumble believes the model has enough capacity to hold over 210 Bitcoin worth about $23.6 million.
