New York-based startup EarnOS has raised $18.5 million to launch its Ero app, which rewards users for verifying their human identity while engaging with brand content online.

Key Points

• EarnOS secured $18.5 million in funding led by 1kx, with additional participation from Coinbase Ventures, Circle Ventures, and Social Graph Ventures.
• The Ero app allows users to earn rewards in USD stablecoin for completing brand challenges, which can be spent using an EarnOS Visa card.
• The platform launched in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, featuring a $30 million annualized rewards pool supported by brands like Nike.
• During a beta test from March 2025 through the end of the year, the company recorded 3 million signups and partnered with 152 brands.
• EarnOS aims to combat rising internet bot traffic by providing advertisers with a verified human audience for their digital marketing campaigns.

Why it Matters

This platform addresses the growing challenge of bot-driven traffic, which recently surpassed human activity on the internet according to Cloudflare data. By shifting advertising spend toward verified human engagement, EarnOS offers a potential alternative to traditional digital ad models that struggle to distinguish between real users and automated software.