Blockchain Browser Brave to Reward Users with BAT Tokens for Watching Ads

Decentralized browser Brave has launched Brave Ads, an option that enables its users to earn rewards for watching advertising. The development was announced on Brave’s website on April 24.

The announcement reads that users of Brave — which is an open-source blockchain-powered browser that blocks ads and website trackers — can now receive 70% of the ad revenue share as a reward for their attention in the form of the browser’s native cryptocurrency, basic attention tokens (BAT). Brave Ads purportedly ensures that brands are connecting with people who are interested in advertising, eliminating costs, and risks regarding privacy, security, and fraud.

The company further notes that it is working with charity-related blockchain consultancy startup The Giving Block to provide ad inventory and test use cases, as well as nonpartisan nonprofit organization The Human Right Foundation, which is featured as part of the launch, where users are able to tip the organization through Brave Rewards. Brendan Eich, CEO and co-founder of Brave Software said:

“With Brave Ads, we are launching a digital ad platform that is the first to protect users’ data rights and to reward them for their attention. Brave Ads also aim to improve the economics and conversion of the online advertising industry, so that publishers and advertisers can thrive without the intermediaries that collect huge fees and that contribute to web-wide surveillance.”

In January Brave partnered with news website Cheddar to offer its users three months of free access to premium content. The browser’s users will purportedly automatically obtain access to premium content on Cheddar’s website, without action on the user’s end.

As reported last December, Brave became the default browser on a phone from major smartphone manufacturer HTC. Brave was reportedly set to be pre-installed on the HTC Exodus 1, “the first native blockchain phone” with support for multiple blockchains, including the Bitcoin and Ethereum networks.

At press time, BAT is trading at $0.433, having gained almost 6.79% over the past 24 hours, according CoinMarketCap. The token’s current market capitalization is around $541 million, while its daily trading volume is around $136.9 million.