Stablecoin issuer Tether and video platform Rumble have jointly launched a non-custodial cryptocurrency wallet, enabling users to tip creators on Rumble using digital assets. According to Rumble, the wallet initially supports Tether’s dollar-pegged USDT, Tether Gold, and Bitcoin.

Fiat on- and off-ramps are being handled by MoonPay, allowing users to convert crypto balances into local currencies. The partners had originally targeted a December release, with the rollout delayed to resolve code and user-experience issues.

The addition of tipping functionality emphasizes crypto’s role as a medium of exchange rather than a vehicle for speculation or long-term value storage, which has become the dominant narrative across much of the digital asset market.

Payments over speculation

“Peer-to-peer payments powered by crypto are the future of the internet economy,” said Ivan Soto-Wright, CEO of crypto payments company MoonPay. Bitcoin itself was introduced as a peer-to-peer electronic cash system in the original whitepaper by its pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto.

In practice, however, Bitcoin’s limited throughput, roughly 10-minute block times and comparatively higher fees, has constrained its use for everyday payments, particularly for small transactions where fees can outweigh the purchase value. As a result, BTC is more commonly treated as a store of value or speculative asset, with many holders opting to accumulate rather than spend it.

Stablecoins fill the gap, with trade-offs

Stablecoins addressed many of these frictions by offering faster settlement and lower fees, allowing value to move across blockchains with near-instant finality. This has made them better suited for internet-native payments, cross-border transfers, and creator tipping use cases.

Despite these advantages, critics point to persistent drawbacks, including exposure to inflation in the underlying fiat currency, reliance on centralized issuers, and potential confiscation risks. These concerns continue to shape the debate around stablecoins, even as their utility in digital payments expands.

Sources:

https://corp.rumble.com/blog/rumble-and-tether-launch-crypto-wallet-for-creator-economy/

https://cointelegraph.com/news/tether-rumble-launch-non-custodial-crypto-wallet

https://nakamotoinstitute.org/library/bitcoin/