Tether Invests in Humanoid Robots. When Will They Be Launched

RBK-cryptoPubblicato 2025-12-09Pubblicato ultima volta 2025-12-09

Introduzione

Tether, the company behind the USDT stablecoin, has invested in humanoid robotics through a €70 million funding round in Generative Bionics, a spin-off from the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT). The startup is developing "physical AI" robots for industrial use and human interaction, leveraging two decades of IIT research. Tether stated these investments support technologies that "expand human potential and reduce reliance on centralized systems." The first industrial deployment programs for these robots are planned for early 2026, targeting manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and retail sectors. A full concept of the humanoid robot will be unveiled at the CES exhibition in Las Vegas. Tether investment portfolio also includes AI, financial services, energy, and biotech.

Tether, the company behind the largest stablecoin USDT, has announced investments in the development of humanoid robots through the Italian Institute of Technology's (IIT) spin-off startup Generative Bionics. The funding round raised €70 million.

Generative Bionics specializes in creating robots with "physical AI" designed for industrial use and human interaction. The startup utilizes two decades of IIT's robotics research, holds exclusive licenses to key technologies, and employs about 70 engineers and AI specialists from the Italian Institute of Technology, according to the statement.

Tether describes these investments as supporting new technologies that "expand human potential and reduce dependence on centralized systems controlled by large tech companies." The company noted it has previously invested in similar developments: Tether funds the creation of neural interfaces through Blackrock Neurotech, and together with Northern Data and Rumble, is deploying a global network for AI utilization.

Generative Bionics states that the first industrial deployment programs for robots are planned for early 2026. They will cover industries such as manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and retail. The first full-concept humanoid robot developed by the company will be presented at the CES international exhibition in Las Vegas (held annually in January).

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino stated that the company "is proud to support a team that turns Italy's scientific leadership into global industrial influence." Both Ardoino and another Tether founder, Giancarlo Devasini, are originally from Italy.

Beyond AI investments, Tether's portfolio includes investments in financial services, energy, biotechnology, education, and media across various countries. The company holds stakes in projects spanning commodities, money transfers, sports, and entertainment.

Only 7 native tokens have remained in profit since the beginning of the year. And it's not Bitcoin

Binance suspended an employee for insider trading. What happened

Strategy purchased the largest batch of Bitcoin since July

Domande pertinenti

QWhat is the name of the startup that Tether invested in for humanoid robot development?

ATether invested in the startup called Generative Bionics, a spinoff of the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT).

QHow much funding was raised in the investment round for Generative Bionics?

AThe funding round raised €70 million.

QWhat is the primary purpose of the 'physical AI' robots being developed by Generative Bionics?

AThe 'physical AI' robots are designed for industrial use and human interaction.

QWhen are the first industrial deployment programs for these robots planned, and which sectors will they cover?

AThe first industrial deployment programs are planned for early 2026 and will cover manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and commerce.

QWhere and when will the first full concept of the humanoid robot developed by Generative Bionics be presented?

AThe first full concept of the humanoid robot will be presented at the international CES exhibition in Las Vegas, which is held annually in January.

Letture associate

DeepSeek Funding: Liang Wenfeng's 'Realist' Pivot

DeepSeek, a leading Chinese AI company, has initiated its first external funding round, aiming to raise at least $300 million at a valuation of no less than $10 billion. This move marks a significant shift from its founder Liang Wenfeng’s previous idealistic stance of rejecting external capital to maintain independence. Despite strong financial backing from its parent company, quantitative trading firm幻方量化 (Huanfang Quant), which provided an estimated $700 million in revenue in 2025 alone, DeepSeek faces mounting challenges. Key issues include a 15-month gap in major model updates, delays in its flagship V4 release, and the loss of several core researchers to competitors offering significantly higher compensation. The company is also undergoing a strategic pivot by migrating its infrastructure from NVIDIA’s CUDA to Huawei’s Ascend platform, a move aligned with China’s push for technological self-reliance amid U.S. export controls. However, DeepSeek lags behind rivals like智谱AI and MiniMax—both now publicly listed—in areas such as product ecosystem, multimodal capabilities, and commercialization. The funding round, though relatively small in scale, is seen as a way to establish a market-validated valuation anchor, making employee stock options more competitive and facilitating talent retention. It also signals DeepSeek’s transition from a pure research-oriented organization to a commercially-driven player in the global AI ecosystem.

marsbit35 min fa

DeepSeek Funding: Liang Wenfeng's 'Realist' Pivot

marsbit35 min fa

Solana Q1 Report: Revenue Plunges 68% Year-on-Year, Developers Decrease by 30%

Solana Q1 2026 Report: Key Metrics Show Significant Decline Amid Market Reset Solana experienced a substantial downturn in Q1 2026, with key performance indicators reflecting a broader market cooling. Total network revenue (REV) fell to $89.9 million, down 68% year-over-year (YoY) and 1.4% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ). This decline was driven by reduced speculative activity, which had previously fueled the network during the 2024/2025 bull market. Key revenue components saw mixed results: base fees dropped 8.7% QoQ, Jito tips (MEV) fell 19.7%, priority fees rose 23%, and vote fees declined 44.5%. The annualized real yield for stakers was just 0.17%, down 67% YoY. Network GDP, generated by top applications, fell 7% QoQ to $451 million. Pump Fun emerged as a standout, generating $103 million (up 3% QoQ), surpassing Solana's L1 revenue. However, daily active addresses averaged 2.4 million, down 4.8% YoY. Stablecoin supply on Solana reached $15.9 billion, down 2.7% QoQ but up 18% YoY. USDC and USDT remained dominant. DEX volumes averaged $3.2 billion daily, with private DEXs now accounting for 60% of all volume. The network's net dilution rate was 4.38%, while the cost to produce $1 of REV was $8.10, up 93% YoY. The number of new tokens created on launchpads grew 42% QoQ to 3 million, with Pump Fun dominating 85% of this market. Despite the downturn, Solana's core strengths remain: its position as a hub for retail trading apps, potential in perpetual markets, and growing use in stablecoin-based fintech applications, particularly in Latin America. However, developer activity declined 32% YoY, slightly worse than Ethereum's 29% drop. The network must now focus on attracting traditional finance, competing in perpetual markets, and sustaining developer ecosystem growth to drive the next expansion cycle.

marsbit1 h fa

Solana Q1 Report: Revenue Plunges 68% Year-on-Year, Developers Decrease by 30%

marsbit1 h fa

Trading

Spot
Futures
活动图片