Shares of video platform Rumble (RUM) edged higher in premarket trading Wednesday after the company officially launched Rumble Wallet, developed in partnership with Tether — the issuer of USDT and a major Rumble investor. The wallet lets viewers tip content creators using Bitcoin (BTC, $64,168.87), Tether (USDT, $0.9991), or Tether Gold (XAUt), bypassing traditional payment rails such as banks, ad networks, or credit card processors.
Non-Custodial Design and First WDK Deployment
Rumble Wallet is fully non-custodial — users hold the private keys, not Rumble. It is built using Tether's Wallet Development Kit (WDK), marking the first live deployment of that toolkit. The WDK enables wallet creation without reliance on centralized custodians. Payment processing is handled by MoonPay.
“Natural Combination of Free Speech and Freedom”
Rumble founder and CEO Chris Pavlovski said: “Rumble represents free speech and liberty the same way that cryptocurrency and a decentralized internet represent freedom, and Rumble Wallet is the natural combination of those things.” He noted that the wallet is integrated directly into the Rumble app, offering creators a revenue stream independent of ad income or subscriptions.
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino called the wallet a step toward “more decentralized and freedom-preserving” internet tools. “Tens of millions of people will now be able to use crypto to support the content they value — without middlemen,” he said.
“Free Speech” Platform Deepens Tether Alliance
Rumble has positioned itself as a free-speech alternative to YouTube, with a growing audience and a business model that appeals to creators wary of platform moderation or ad restrictions. Tether has made multiple hundreds-of-millions-dollar investments in Rumble over the past year. The wallet launch represents a practical extension of that ideological and financial partnership into the payment layer.
Market Reaction and Stock Performance
RUM shares rose roughly 3% in premarket trading following the announcement, though the stock remains about 50% lower on a year-over-year basis. The modest price move suggests investors are taking a wait-and-see approach on whether the tipping feature will materially improve creator retention and monetization.