Vertical AI

The Ecosystem Bringing AI Solutions Onchain | Seed, Ship, Scale | $VERTAI

[Vertical AI @Build_Vertical]

Vertical is moving towards one clear goal

To become the place where founders and builders receive the support they need to launch and grow

This is the vision behind Vertical Labs ⚡️

Watch the video as @MarkTbuilds explains what the future of Vertical looks like

[Vertical AI @Build_Vertical]

◻️ On 19 October, NorForge documented more than 1,100 attack projects involving AI agents across 14 exposed dashboards linked to one activity cluster

The figure counts projects, not confirmed breaches

◻️ In January and February, Amazon documented an AI-assisted campaign that compromised over 600 FortiGate devices across more than 55 countries

An attacker with limited technical skills gained entry through weak credentials and exposed management interfaces

AI helps attackers research targets, build tools and adapt their methods. Smaller teams can attempt more attacks with less manual work

Agents deployed inside companies can also be targeted

Malicious instructions hidden in a document or webpage can cause an agent to expose data or misuse its access to other systems

As companies give agents access to customer records, code and payments, they need to fund the security work that comes with it

Permissions must be enforced outside the model

Sensitive actions need separate authorisation. Teams need logs, monitoring and a way to revoke access quickly

Security testing must continue as software changes. AI can help defenders find vulnerabilities and check whether fixes work

For founders and incubators, due diligence should establish who owns security, which systems agents can access, how incidents are handled and whether the operating budget covers that work

[Vertical AI @Build_Vertical]

AI Is Lowering the Cost of Cyberattacks

Artificial intelligence helps attackers research targets and develop tools with less technical knowledge and manual work

In its 2026 Global Threat Report, CrowdStrike reported an 89% year-on-year increase in the activity it observed from attackers using AI

Two documented cases 👇

[Vertical AI @Build_Vertical]

Public token fundraising has recovered unevenly.

In CryptoRank’s dataset, the average disclosed public token sale raised approximately:

◻️ 2021: $1.50 million
◻️ 2023: $460,000
◻️ 2025: $2.08 million
◻️ 2026 YTD, through 10 June: $3.15 million.

Activity remained volatile in 2026

CryptoRank reported just $8.4 million in total token-sale fundraising in August. The first week of October recorded the highest weekly total since February

Capital remains concentrated

Coinbase’s analysis of 962 projects with documented token-sale proceeds from 2021 to September 2026 found that 130 projects accounted for approximately 75% of proceeds

This broader sample includes public and private sales beyond launchpads

The sector mix also changed. Within that sample:

◻️ Infrastructure, L1/L2 networks and DeFi represented 64.5% of sales in 2025
◻️ AI’s share rose from 1.3% in 2021 to 13.2% in 2025
◻️ Gaming and metaverse sales fell from 75 in 2021 to 17 in 2025

The January–September 2026 subset contains only 20 documented sales, with recent disclosures incomplete. It does not support a reliable update to those sector shares

Selected CoinList offerings in early 2026 illustrate three fundraising themes:

◻️ AI infrastructure finance: https://t.co/JD239PxGOW - lending against GPU collateral
◻️ Confidential infrastructure: Zama - computation on encrypted data
◻️ Integrated DeFi: Flying Tulip - trading and lending within one protocol

[Vertical AI @Build_Vertical]

Mastercard and Visa are building payment infrastructure for AI agents, enabling them to transact on behalf of users within defined budgets and permissions

@vAPI_Network already puts this model to work for paid APIs

With Call, an agent can find a provider, pay per request in USDC on @base through x402, and use the returned data to complete a task

Users set spending limits, and every paid request generates a receipt

The walkthrough below shows the full process, from installation to an agent querying onchain data, analysing liquidations and comparing liquidity pools

[vAPI Network @vAPI_Network]

From setup to your first paid API call. See vAPI Call in action.

Our protocol lead @MarkTbuilds walks through installation and demonstrates Call using @graphprotocol as a showcase provider, with USDC payments on @base powered by x402.

[Vertical AI @Build_Vertical]

Launchpads need to prove their value before and after a token sale

Only 13 public token sales closed in May 2026, the lowest monthly figure since late 2020

Active institutional venture investors fell from 767 in Q3 2025 to 333 in Q3 2026

Returns have given buyers little reason to return: by December, 84.7% of 118 tracked launches from 2025 traded below their initial valuation

We see three directions for launch platforms:

◻️ Selection and support before the sale. Teams undergo formal review and receive help with tokenomics, market entry and fundraising preparation. Some programmes also provide initial funding

◻️ Regulated sales. In the EU, professionally placing tokens on an issuer’s behalf is a regulated service under MiCAR, requiring the relevant authorisation

◻️ Control over capital after the sale. Some platforms hold proceeds in treasuries that teams cannot move independently

Monthly budgets cover operations, while additional spending requires governance approval

A launchpad seeking to rebuild trust should explain why it selected a team, what support that team receives and who controls the money after the raise

[vAPI Network @vAPI_Network]

From setup to your first paid API call. See vAPI Call in action.

Our protocol lead @MarkTbuilds walks through installation and demonstrates Call using @graphprotocol as a showcase provider, with USDC payments on @base powered by x402.

[Vertical AI @Build_Vertical]

https://t.co/IsFfQlWDCl

[vAPI Network @vAPI_Network]

The first piece is live. The next two arrive together.

Another step toward one trusted network where agents and humans do business.

EP02: Router & Staking - October 21.

[Vertical AI @Build_Vertical]

AI agents need a way to find and pay for the services their tasks require

Incubated by Vertical, @vAPI_Network brings both into one flow with Call, using per-request USDC payments on @base

Watch the walkthrough

[vAPI Network @vAPI_Network]

EP01: Call.

Every paid API is a capability an agent can buy. Every provider gains a route to a new customer.

Call connects them: discover APIs and pay per request in USDC on @base, powered by x402.

The pieces are falling into place: https://t.co/Xuc7npflK3

[Vertical AI @Build_Vertical]

Incubated projects should clearly present their development needs, explain funding requirements and transparently report spending

The incubator reviews those needs, releases agreed funding and monitors progress

Before fundraising, both parties should agree on the budget, milestones, reporting requirements, funding conditions and treatment of unused capital

The incubator’s authority to request evidence, require corrections and pause funding should be documented.

Capital should be released in tranches for defined purposes. Further funding should depend on documented expenditure and verifiable progress

Material changes to the budget or use of funds should require prior approval

Monthly project reports should show capital received, spending by category, remaining runway and progress against milestones

Missed commitments or unexplained expenditure should trigger a documented review, with tighter controls or a funding pause where warranted

Public updates should distinguish completed work from ongoing tests and future plans

Unsupported claims should be corrected, and material delays or changes disclosed promptly

At Vertical Labs, we believe founders should be accountable for execution and transparent reporting, and incubators for the quality of their oversight

Investors and the community need clear evidence that funds are being used as agreed and commitments are being met

[vAPI Network @vAPI_Network]

EP01: Call.

Every paid API is a capability an agent can buy. Every provider gains a route to a new customer.

Call connects them: discover APIs and pay per request in USDC on @base, powered by x402.

The pieces are falling into place: https://t.co/Xuc7npflK3

[Vertical AI @Build_Vertical]

Helping projects reach the people who will use their products is central to Vertical’s next phase

We are building an ecosystem that supports founders from development through distribution, with Gateway giving projects a direct way to reach our community

@MarkTbuilds goes deeper into the structure behind this direction, the role of $VERTAI and what needs to be in place before its relaunch

Watch the video below ⚡

[Vertical AI @Build_Vertical]

Before the next token raise, a team should be able to show what the previous funding helped it learn about demand

For products using token incentives to attract users, that means tracking what happens after a campaign ends:

◻️ How many users return when promotional rewards stop?
◻️ How many become paying customers?
◻️ Does the revenue they generate cover the incentives and the cost of serving them?

These results should shape the next funding plan

Strong retention can support a case for expanding distribution

Users leaving after rewards end calls for a closer look at the product before increasing acquisition spending

Founders should define these tests before allocating the budget, then report the results alongside the milestones delivered

At Vertical Labs, we see this as an essential part of preparing teams for their next stage of growth