Tether Invests in Humanoid Robots. When Will They Be Launched

RBK-cryptoОпубликовано 2025-12-09Обновлено 2025-12-09

Введение

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

Связанные с этим вопросы

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.

Похожее

Apple Also Has to Pay Rent Now

Apple Pays Rent Too: The Two-Way Flow of "Traffic Tax" and "AI Capability Rent" Between Tech Giants For over two decades, Google has paid Apple an estimated $20 billion annually to remain the default search engine on Safari, a "traffic tax" for a critical user entry point. However, in 2026, the direction of this cash flow partially reversed. Apple agreed to pay Google roughly $1 billion per year to license its Gemini AI models, as Apple's own models reportedly struggled with complex tasks. This creates a unique dynamic: Apple acts as the "landlord" in the established search ecosystem, collecting rent from Google for access. Simultaneously, in the emerging AI arena, Apple becomes the "tenant," paying Google for access to cutting-edge AI capabilities it cannot currently match internally. While Apple claims its new models are "distilled" from Gemini outputs and contain "not a drop" of Google's original code, core dependencies remain. Its knowledge base is refined using Gemini's outputs, and its most powerful cloud model runs on Google's infrastructure. Apple has structured the deal as non-exclusive, allowing it to theoretically switch AI suppliers—a hedge against over-reliance. The future hinges on whether advanced AI models become a commodity (cheap and abundant) or remain a concentrated, scarce resource (expensive and controlled by few). Apple is betting on the former, leveraging its massive device ecosystem to be a powerful, choosy customer. If the latter proves true, its bargaining power could erode. This power dynamic is extending to developers. Apple, Google, and WeChat are all pushing for apps to expose their core functions as standardized "actions" or "intents" that their respective AI assistants (Siri, Gemini, WeChat AI) can directly call. The new scarce resource is no longer just app store visibility, but "being selected by the AI." The currency of "rent" has changed from a 30% revenue share to ceding control over how users interact with an app's functions.

marsbit25 мин. назад

marsbit25 мин. назад

Missed the SpaceX IPO? WEEX's "First Trade Protection" Lets You Experience US Stock Trading Risk-Free.

With the excitement around SpaceX's recent public listing reigniting interest in the US stock market, Chinese investors face significant challenges accessing compliant and convenient trading channels following regulatory actions against major online brokers. This article explores the available options, highlighting their risks and limitations. Traditional paths for US stock investments remain problematic. Qualified Domestic Institutional Investor (QDII) and Listed Open-Ended Fund (LOF) products, while compliant, suffer from high fees, significant purchase premiums, and a very limited selection of assets. Small, unregulated offshore brokers pose substantial risks, including potential insolvency. While secure, VIP accounts at banks in Hong Kong or Singapore require high minimum deposits (often 1-2 million RMB) and in-person visits, placing them out of reach for most retail investors. The article positions cryptocurrency exchanges, specifically their TradFi (traditional finance on-chain) offerings, as a compelling alternative. Platforms like WEEX are noted for providing access to a wide range of US stocks and ETFs, including SpaceX (SPCXON), through tokenized assets. This method offers advantages such as a single account for both crypto and traditional assets, USDT-based settlement avoiding fiat complexities, flexible leverage, and robust risk management. To attract users, WEEX is promoting a "First Trade Guarantee" campaign. Running from June 15 to July 8 (UTC+8), it features a $30,000 prize pool. Users who trade $500 worth of US stock contracts can qualify for a guarantee on their first eligible trade: 100% loss coverage up to $30 or a 20% bonus on profits up to $30. The campaign is presented as a low-risk opportunity for both crypto natives and traditional investors to experience US stock trading.

marsbit27 мин. назад

Missed the SpaceX IPO? WEEX's "First Trade Protection" Lets You Experience US Stock Trading Risk-Free.

marsbit27 мин. назад

How Difficult is Chip Making? A Division Error Costs 475 Million Dollars

How Hard Is It to Make a Chip? A Division Error Cost $475 Million Chip expert Shi Kan, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a popular tech creator, explains the immense challenges of chip development. Chips are foundational to modern technology, but their creation is extraordinarily difficult. The journey from sand to a functional chip involves complex design and manufacturing, but a critical bottleneck is verification—ensuring the design works flawlessly before costly production. A single, undetected bug can have catastrophic consequences, as illustrated by the infamous 1994 Intel Pentium FDIV bug. A flaw in the floating-point division unit forced a recall costing $475 million. Unlike software, chips cannot be easily patched after manufacture, making "first-time success" paramount. However, industry surveys show only 24% of chip projects achieve this; over three-quarters require at least one costly re-spin due to design flaws. Verification has thus become the dominant phase, consuming up to 70% of the design cycle. The core challenge is a "verification impossible triangle" between high performance, good debuggability, and low cost. Exhaustively verifying a modern CPU core could take 15,000 years with software simulation, or 30 years with advanced hardware emulation—timeframes utterly impractical for development. Despite being essential, verification is often seen as unglamorous "dirty work," receiving less academic attention than fields like AI. Shi and his team are tackling this by developing an agile verification research framework called ENCORE, based on FPGA technology, to improve verification efficiency and debug capability. Beyond research, Shi engages in public science communication through long-form video content, aiming to demystify chip technology, AI, and computer science. He argues for the value of pursuing "hard and long-term" endeavors, whether in the meticulous world of chip verification or in creating substantive educational content, believing such sustained effort is likely the right path forward.

marsbit36 мин. назад

How Difficult is Chip Making? A Division Error Costs 475 Million Dollars

marsbit36 мин. назад

Claude to Mandate "Face-Scan ID Verification", No ID No Service Starting July?

Anthropic, the creator of Claude AI, has sent privacy policy update emails to users, signaling a significant shift. The key change, effective July 8, is the potential requirement for consumer-level users (Free, Pro, Max plans) to verify their age or identity. This verification would be conducted through the third-party service Persona, involving uploading a government-issued photo ID and taking a live selfie for comparison. Anthropic states this data is for security purposes only, will not be used for model training, and is processed by Persona, not stored on its own servers. The update also clarifies data handling for Claude's new capabilities: when performing multi-step tasks or connecting to third-party apps, user data may flow between Anthropic and those external services. Additionally, more information may be collected from users who participate in Anthropic research. This move is seen as a major step towards establishing accountability as AI agents become more powerful and autonomous, capable of executing complex, real-world tasks. It follows previous enforcement actions, like the banning of the "Fable 5" account, and indicates a broader industry trend toward stricter user identification and safety measures. The verification is expected to apply in specific scenarios, particularly as users engage Claude in more complex agentic workflows.

链捕手49 мин. назад

Claude to Mandate "Face-Scan ID Verification", No ID No Service Starting July?

链捕手49 мин. назад

Blockchain Has Finally Started to Sail into the Mainstream After 18 Years

Blockchain Finds Its True Path After 18 Years: Becoming the Financial Backbone for AI Agents and Autonomy This analysis explores a pivotal shift in the blockchain and crypto investment landscape, driven by the dominance of AI. Major venture capital firms, including Variant, Paradigm, Haun Ventures, and YZi Labs, are moving beyond pure "crypto" investment theses. They are expanding their focus to AI, robotics, and frontier tech, signaling that blockchain is no longer seen as a standalone sector but as an underlying infrastructure layer. The core argument is that blockchain's killer application may not be user-facing apps, but rather providing the economic rails for the coming wave of AI agents, autonomous robots, and automated systems. Key capabilities like self-custody wallets, programmable stablecoins for micropayments, on-chain identity, and verifiable smart contracts are positioned as essential for a future where machines conduct economic activity. The recent $1.4 billion investment by Tether (via its venture arm) in German robotics company NEURA Robotics exemplifies this, aiming to embed Tether's wallet tools directly into robots for autonomous transactions. While many "AI + Crypto" projects remain superficial, the article concludes that true value lies where crypto is a necessary component—enabling machine-to-machine payments, agent autonomy, verifiable data provenance, and open financial settlement for the AI era. For crypto venture capital, this convergence with AI represents both an adaptation to shifting capital flows and a potential path to unlocking the large-scale, non-speculative utility the industry has long sought.

marsbit57 мин. назад

Blockchain Has Finally Started to Sail into the Mainstream After 18 Years

marsbit57 мин. назад

Торговля

Спот

Фьючерсы