Token Utility

🏷️ 1. Purchasing Credits at a Discounted Rate

When users purchase platform credits using $VERTAI instead of fiat, they receive a 15% discount at checkout, making token usage a more cost-effective option for active participants. The discount is applied immediately at the time of purchase, offering users a direct incentive to use the token rather than traditional payment methods. The token amount required is calculated based on the real-time USD value of $VERTAI at the time of the transaction. Once purchased, credits maintain their USD-equivalent value within the platform and are consumed as users access services.

🔒 2. Staking $VERTAI for Platform Credits

Users can stake $VERTAI to receive platform credits that can be spend to consume, finetune or host AI models on the platform. All tokens staked will have a set annual percentage yield (% APY) in non-transferable platform credits, paid out every month. The APY can vary day by day and will be set for the lock-up period on the day that the tokens are locked.

Feature	What it Means
Stake	The more you stake & the longer you stake, the more credits you earn
Yield Type	APY %; Rewards land as USD pegged platform credits, so your compute budget is never whipsawed by the market.
Dynamic APY	The yield is fixed at the moment you lock in but can vary for new stakes as market conditions change.
Reclaimability	All your $VERTAI is returned at the end of the staking period, or whenever you unlock.
Zero dilution	We pay you in platform credits, not new tokens, so circulating $VERTAI isn’t inflated.

Users can choose to unstake their tokens at any time before the lock-up period ends. However, doing so means they forfeit the credit rewards.

🤝 3. Affiliate Program with Loyalty Tiers

Vertical’s affiliate program rewards partners who attract new users to the platform. Affiliates earn a commission on the revenue they generate, with the potential to unlock higher commission tiers by locking a minimum amount of $VERTAI.

Tiers & $VERTAI Locked	Commission on Referred Spend
Bronze 2,000 – 4,999	5%
Silver 5,000 – 9,999	8%
Gold 10,000 – 19,999	12%
Platinum 20,000 – 29,999	16%
Diamond 30,000+	20%

Pay outs will be executed monthly on recurring dates to be decided, in either USD-C or $VERTAI. Tokens supplied will be liquid instantly, with no further vesting. The minimum pay-out will be >20 USD to minimise on-chain gas costs (unpaid balances roll over).

🔥 4. Quarterly Token Burn Based on Platform Revenues

Each quarter, 10% of the net profit generated from services paid in $VERTAI will be allocated to token burns. This mechanism permanently reduces the total supply of $VERTAI and is designed to align token supply with platform growth. Burn transactions are executed on-chain and disclosed transparently. This deflationary policy supports the long-term health of the token economy without distributing profits or creating any claims for token holders.

Burns will continue until a maximum of 25% of total token supply at token generation event (25.000.000 $VERTAI tokens) are burned, or 5 years have passed. This cap is intended to prevent excessive deflation and maintain long-term balance in the token economy. A new token burn mechanism will be designed when either of these conditions are met; whichever comes first.

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$VERTAI is designed to be a versatile utility token within the Vertical ecosystem and enhances the user experience on the platform.