The world’s biggest stablecoin empire has a new hobby, and it’s not another crypto exchange, AI cloud, or shady mining deal. It’s bodies. More precisely: humanoid robots with “Physical AI.”

Tether just joined a €70 million (€70M ≈ $81M) funding round for Generative Bionics, an Italian robotics company building human-shaped machines meant to walk into factories, warehouses, and whatever’s left of human labor.

Because why only issue digital dollars when you can also build the workforce that won’t complain, unionize, or take weekends?

Humanoid Hype: From Memes to Manufacturing Lines

Generative Bionics claims it’s not just another robot manufacturer, but a maker of “Physical AI” — which basically means AI with muscles: industrial humans without the humanity.
The company will now move into industrial testing and a full production facility, aiming to deploy its first robot squads in 2026.

Tether’s CEO Paolo Ardoino framed it like a humanitarian mission:

“We invest in physical and digital infrastructure that expands human potential.”

Translation: Robots don’t take sick days.

Why Would a Stablecoin Company Fund Robots?

This isn’t a random pivot. Tether has been spraying investments everywhere outside crypto:

• AI infrastructure
• Media operations
• Agriculture tech
• Brain–computer interface research

Now: robots. Humanoid ones. The kind that might move boxes, harvest crops, replace pickers, fill warehouses, and eventually make payroll spreadsheets smaller.

Tether isn’t diversifying.
Tether is building backup civilization layers — digital + physical control systems.

Who Else Is Betting on “Physical AI”?

Joining Tether in the round:

• CDP Venture Capital (AI Fund, lead)
• AMD Ventures
• Duferco
• Eni Next
• RoboIT

Meanwhile, the humanoid race is already crowded with giants: Tesla Optimus, Nvidia–backed robotics labs, Fig, 1X, Agility, and the entire industrial sector fantasizing about cheap, compliant labor.

Robots aren’t coming.
They’re funded.

Why This Matters

Crypto companies used to sell decentralization. Now they’re building centralized robot labor infrastructure. Silicon Valley told us automation would “free human creativity.” Instead, investors seem more excited to free humans from payroll.

Humanoid robots will start in factories.
Then warehouses.
Then agriculture.
Then every “labor shortage” narrative becomes “cost-cutting.”

Tether joining the race doesn’t just expand robotics funding. It puts one of the world’s largest financial engines directly into the replacement of manual labor.

Stablecoins used to save value.
Now they’re building the machines that replace it.