EarnOS has secured $6 million in a pre-Series A funding round led by 1kx, with participation from Coinbase Ventures, Circle Ventures, and Social Graph Ventures, as the company rolls out its “ero” app across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia following its exit from beta.
The platform aims to verify human internet activity, reduce digital waste caused by bots, and reward users for authenticated online engagement. The company estimates that brands lose more than $100 billion annually due to fraudulent or non-human web traffic.
Strategic backing from Verona
Alongside the equity funding, EarnOS secured a four-year, $12.5 million non-dilutive strategic investment from Verona, a blockchain infrastructure provider formerly known as XION. Verona supports the app’s verification systems, onboarding processes, and global reward distribution.
The rebranding of XION to Verona was confirmed the same day, with the firm noting its partnership with EarnOS dates back to late 2024. Campaigns powered by the platform have already involved major global brands including Uber, Baskin-Robbins, The North Face, Sunglass Hut, and Lacoste.
Targeting a growing bot-driven economy
EarnOS enters a digital landscape increasingly dominated by automated traffic. By early 2026, bots accounted for more than half of all internet activity, according to industry estimates. The financial impact remains significant, with ad fraud losses projected to reach around $84 billion this year.
The ero app attempts to counter this by shifting the digital advertising model. Instead of paying for impressions or clicks that may be generated by bots, brands pay users for verified actions. The launch is supported by more than $30 million in annualized committed reward programs, creating immediate incentives for user participation.
Technology and infrastructure
User verification within the app relies on zkTLS technology, designed to confirm identity and behavior without requiring the platform to store sensitive personal data. This privacy-preserving approach is central to EarnOS’s model.
Verona’s infrastructure extends beyond the app itself, positioning the network as a broader decentralized layer for AI agents and data verification. The rebrand reflects a strategic push to position the protocol as an intelligence layer for the expanding AI-driven economy.
Market context and outlook
The launch comes after a sharp downturn in digital asset markets, which saw more than $800 billion wiped from total market value in early June. Although sentiment is beginning to stabilize, traders remain cautious after prolonged volatility.
Against this backdrop, projects addressing real-world inefficiencies are drawing increased attention. EarnOS’s focus on eliminating fraudulent traffic and rewarding verified engagement places it within this category, particularly with backing from established venture firms and partnerships with global brands.
Adoption and network effects in focus
Near-term performance will depend heavily on user adoption across its initial markets. The platform’s ability to attract and retain active participants will be a key indicator of its viability.
The relationship between EarnOS as a consumer-facing application and Verona as its underlying protocol also presents a broader test case. Growth in verified human engagement on the app could directly translate into increased usage and demand for the supporting blockchain infrastructure, highlighting the potential interplay between application success and network value.
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