In a move that could reshape the balance of power in AI infrastructure, Rumble Inc. (NASDAQ: RUM) and Tether, the world’s largest digital assets company, have agreed to a GPU services commitment worth up to $150 million over two years.
The agreement—set to take effect following Rumble’s planned exchange offer for Northern Data AG—gives Tether access to high-performance GPU clusters for training and running AI models at scale, independent of Big Tech’s hyperscaler clouds.
Tether’s AI Play: Sovereignty Over Scale
For Tether, best known for issuing the USDT stablecoin to more than 500 million users worldwide, the deal marks a major step into AI infrastructure sovereignty. The company plans to use Rumble’s GPU resources and Northern Data’s exascale compute clusters to build decentralized AI systems—networks that prioritize data independence, censorship resistance, and cost efficiency over traditional cloud reliance.
The initiative aligns with CEO Paolo Ardoino’s vision of Tether as more than a fintech company. It’s a signal that the stablecoin powerhouse intends to own the compute layer of AI, not just its financial rails.
Rumble’s Freedom-First AI Strategy
For Rumble, the deal is a validation of its “Freedom-First” technology thesis—a push to create digital infrastructure free from centralized control. Rumble’s planned acquisition of Northern Data AG, a major European compute provider, would give the company the hardware backbone to serve Tether as an anchor customer and potentially attract others seeking AI independence.
“Paolo Ardoino is a visionary,” said Chris Pavlovski, Chairman and CEO of Rumble. “At Rumble, with the exchange offer for Northern Data, we’ll be in a position to expand our partnership with Tether and supply them as an anchor customer on our Freedom-First AI infrastructure—helping execute their game-changing AI plans rooted in privacy, independence, and resilience.”
The GPU Gold Rush, With a Twist
While most AI players—from OpenAI to Meta—are locked in a race to secure scarce GPU capacity from NVIDIA, Rumble and Tether are taking a different route: building and controlling their own compute networks. This move mirrors a broader industry trend toward sovereign and decentralized AI infrastructure, as organizations seek to avoid both geopolitical risk and vendor lock-in.
Tether’s decision to deploy its AI workloads outside hyperscaler ecosystems echoes similar initiatives in the UAE, India, and Saudi Arabia, where governments and tech firms are racing to establish independent GPU sovereignty.
What’s Next
The GPU purchase agreement hinges on the successful closing of Rumble’s exchange offer for Northern Data AG, which would integrate the company’s European GPU assets under Rumble’s control. If completed, Rumble could emerge as one of the few Western tech firms with end-to-end GPU, software, and AI infrastructure capabilities operating outside the Big Tech cloud oligopoly.
For Tether, it’s another chapter in a growing expansion beyond stablecoins—into energy, data, and now AI compute infrastructure—all designed to anchor a self-sustaining, censorship-resistant digital ecosystem.
The takeaway? As AI becomes the new battleground for sovereignty and control, Rumble and Tether are betting that freedom—both technological and ideological—will be the ultimate competitive advantage.
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