Video and cloud platform Rumble will acquire German firm Northern Data, one of Europe’s largest providers of AI and high-performance computing infrastructure.
The transaction, which is valued at up to $970 million, is set to bring together two companies backed by stablecoin issuer Tether.
It will be executed through a public exchange offer, and represents a pivotal moment in Rumble’s bid to build an independent AI and cloud ecosystem rooted in privacy, decentralization, and digital sovereignty.
“Northern Data. Tether. Rumble. This is how we build the AI ecosystem for the future, from the ground up,” said Chris Pavlovski, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Rumble, in the announcement. “Freedom-First is the new way forward for tech. Unlike Big Tech, it represents a future where technology empowers rather than controls. Built on the principles of free speech, privacy, independence, and resilience, Freedom-First seeks to ensure that people — not unaccountable digital gatekeepers — are in charge.”
Let’s get ready to Rumble!
The deal will give Rumble access to approximately 22,000 Nvidia GPUs, including 20,400 H100s and 2,000 H200s — some of the most powerful chips available for training and deploying AI models.
It also adds a globally distributed network of data centers, four of which are directly owned by Northern Data, including a 180-megawatt facility under construction in Maysville, Georgia.
This move bolsters Rumble’s infrastructure portfolio and positions it as a contender in the global AI and cloud computing race currently dominated by Microsoft, Amazon, and Google.
The acquisition allows Rumble to scale its cloud business expand internationally, particularly across Europe where Northern Data maintains operations in Germany, Sweden, Norway, Portugal, the Netherlands, and the UK.
A game of monopoly
As stated above, Rumble’s leadership framed the acquisition as part of a broader philosophical and strategic campaign to challenge the Big Tech monopoly over data and digital infrastructure.
Pavlovski outlined an ambitious roadmap that includes AI chatbots, productivity tools, secure email and storage, and financial services such as the Rumble Wallet.
The company’s alignment with Tether, the issuer of the world’s most widely used stablecoin, further underscores its push toward an alternative digital infrastructure built outside traditional corporate and government influence.
Tether’s expanding role
Tether, which made a $775 million investment in Rumble earlier this year, has emerged as both financier and customer in this evolving ecosystem. In addition to its financial backing, Tether has committed to becoming a major anchor customer of the combined Rumble-Northern Data group.
This partnership ties Rumble’s Freedom-First narrative to Tether’s own ambitions of building decentralized energy, communication, and financial infrastructure, giving both companies a broader foothold in the AI and digital sovereignty movement.
Northern Data’s co-CEO John Hoffman emphasized this, stating: “The AI revolution requires a complete redesign of compute architecture, one that is underpinned not only by large scale GPU deployments and access to energy but a foundational commitment to individual control, customer enablement, and scaled access to capital.”
Challenges and regulatory considerations
While the merger marks a bold move, it is not without challenges. The deal will require regulatory approval in both the US and Europe. Moreover, Northern Data is currently subject to an independent investigation into VAT-related allegations, which could impact the transaction timeline.
There are also broader market risks. Rumble, a company rooted in free speech advocacy and often viewed as a conservative alternative to YouTube, now finds itself entering a highly capital-intensive and politically sensitive industry dominated by a few massive players.
Still, Rumble appears determined to position itself as an ideological and technological alternative to centralized platforms.
Northern Data will be delisted following the completion of the transaction, which is expected in the second quarter of 2026.
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