What is Vertex AI in Google?

Can you elaborate on what Vertex AI represents within the realm of Google's technological offerings? As a seasoned expert in the cryptocurrency and finance space, I'm particularly intrigued by the integration of AI into diverse fields. Is Vertex AI an AI platform that specifically caters to developers and data scientists for building and deploying machine learning models, or does it serve a broader purpose within Google's ecosystem? I'm keen to understand its CORE functionalities and how it potentially intersects with financial and cryptocurrency-related applications.