Rumble's Big Plan to Compete with YouTube Using Bitcoin

Direct competitor to YouTube, Rumble is now betting on crypto to attract its content creators. In partnership with Tether, the video platform is about to launch a Bitcoin tipping system. A strategy that could reshuffle the cards in the creator economy. But will this initiative be enough to reverse the trend for a stock that has plummeted heavily since the beginning of the year?

A strategic alliance to revolutionize creator compensation

Chris Pavloski, CEO of Rumble, unveiled this new feature at the Plan B Forum in Lugano, Switzerland. The Bitcoin tipping feature is currently in the testing phase and will be gradually rolled out with Tether in the coming weeks. 

This integration aims to offer the platform’s 51 million active users a decentralized alternative to traditional payment systems.

Paolo Ardoino, head of Tether, does not hide his enthusiasm. “This is one of the largest user bases that would begin to adopt Bitcoin and stablecoins,” he says. 

This statement makes perfect sense when you know that Tether now claims over 500 million users for its USDT stablecoin worldwide. The stablecoin issuer sees Rumble as a major growth lever, especially in the US market.

Rumble’s anti-censorship positioning, which attracted many conservative creators, finds a natural echo in the philosophy of Bitcoin. 

We can find use cases for Bitcoin and stablecoins that will truly empower creators and provide them with the security of not being debanked for their opinions. 

Paolo Ardoino

The stated objective: to protect creators against the risk of debanking related to their stances.

To complete this ecosystem, Rumble is also developing its own crypto wallet in collaboration with MoonPay. This infrastructure aims to simplify the user experience and reduce friction during crypto transactions.

A double-edged Bitcoin bet for Rumble

Rumble’s crypto strategy is not new. In 2024, the company adopted an aggressive treasury strategy by investing up to 20 million dollars of its cash into crypto. 

In March 2025, it concretized this plan by adding 17.1 million dollars in BTC to its balance sheet. By the second quarter, its reserves reached around 25 million dollars.

This strategic conviction contrasts with the company’s stock market performance. Rumble stock, traded under the symbol RUM, closed Friday at 7.14 dollars, a slight increase of 0.56%. 

However, this occasional rebound does not mask the underlying trend: the stock has suffered a drop of more than 45% since the beginning of the year. A decline that reflects the challenges the platform faces in a market dominated by YouTube and against a user base that has contracted, dropping from 59 million in the first quarter to 51 million in the second.

Tether’s massive investment last December – 775 million dollars – nevertheless demonstrates strategic confidence. For Tether, Rumble represents a gateway to the primary US economy, beyond emerging markets where USDT has established itself.

The challenge remains considerable. Rumble must convince its community to adopt these new tools while improving its financial performance. The launch window – early or mid-December – will be crucial to assess the users’ real appetite for these innovations.

In short, Rumble is playing a bold card by simultaneously betting on technological innovation and a strategic Bitcoin reserve. While this dual approach is philosophically appealing, financial markets remain skeptical given the continuous decline in the stock price. The success of the Bitcoin tipping rollout will determine if Rumble can turn its crypto positioning into a sustainable competitive advantage against the giant YouTube.