ForgeStop’s Connected Product Technology Powers Apex Evolution Labs’ New Standard in Card Grading

Every AEL slab carries a ForgeStop InfoTap® NFC label. One tap proves the grade, shows if the slab was opened, and flags lost or stolen cards.

MIAMI, FL, UNITED STATES, November 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- ForgeStop, the award-winning connected products platform that protects products from pharmaceuticals to premium spirits, today announced that its secure NFC authentication technology powers the new standard of card grading from Apex Evolution Labs (AEL), the trading card grading division of UK-based Nevari International Limited. Every AEL slab is sealed with a ForgeStop InfoTap^® smart label that gives the graded card a unique, cryptographically secured digital identity, linked to its AEL certificate, grade and certification photographs.

A collector, dealer or buyer taps the slab with a phone and, within about a second, receives verified confirmation that the card was graded by AEL, along with its certificate details and lab images. Each tap generates a single-use code secured with AES-128 cryptography, which the ForgeStop platform validates before any result is shown. No app required.

The InfoTap label is built on EM Microelectronic’s em|echo-V secure chip. Each label is encoded and locked during production, so its identity cannot be altered once the slab is sealed.
The label is integrated into the seal of the slab. If the slab is ever opened, the label detects it, and every tap from that point on shows the slab as tampered.
Owners can report a card lost or stolen to AEL. Once flagged, the card’s status is displayed to anyone who taps the slab, wherever it resurfaces. Ownership details and the full grading report remain protected behind a private owner PIN printed with the certificate.

“A grade is only as trustworthy as the case that carries it,” said Terry Katz, CEO of ForgeStop. “AEL has built its new standard on a security platform designed for products where authenticity is non-negotiable. One tap now confirms three things: the slab is genuine AEL, it has never been opened, and it has not been reported stolen.”

“Collectors have been asked to trust a printed label and a plastic case. We wanted a grade that proves itself every time someone taps it, and tells you straight away if anything has changed since the card left our lab,” said Matthew Aizen, Founder and CEO of Apex Evolution Labs.
As each graded card is sealed, its AEL certificate and ForgeStop’s InfoTap NFC label are linked for life, creating a digital twin of that individual card that travels with it through every sale.

ForgeStop’s platform is deployed in market across pharmaceuticals, Financial instruments, premium spirits and nutraceuticals. In October 2026, ForgeStop won the CPHI Pharma Award for Drug Delivery, Devices and Packaging Innovation at CPHI Milan for its secure connected packaging.
Collectors can submit cards to AEL directly through www.apexevolutionlabs.com.

About ForgeStop
ForgeStop is a connected products platform that gives every physical product a secure digital identity. One tap on any phone proves it is genuine, traces where it has been, and connects the holder to the brand. Protect. Connect. Experience. forgestop.com

About Apex Evolution Labs
Apex Evolution Labs (AEL) is the forensic grading and technology manufacturing business of Nevari International Limited. It develops technologies for collectible assessment, encapsulation and verification, combining laboratory analysis with product engineering and manufacturing. apexevolutionlabs.com

Media Contacts
ForgeStop: hello@forgestop.com
Apex Evolution Labs: media@apexevolutionlabs.com

Atlas M.
ForgeStop
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram