Brave (web browser)#Basic Attention Token

Brave Software was founded in 2015 by Brendan Eich, creator of JavaScript and former Mozilla CEO who left the organization after coming under fire for his support of California Proposition 8, and Brian Bondy, a programmer who had formerly worked at Mozilla.{{Cite web |title=Mystery startup from ex-Mozilla CEO aims to go where tech titans won't |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/mystery-startup-from-ex-mozilla-ceo-aims-to-go-where-tech-titans-wont/ |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=CNET |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Brave browser promises faster Web by banishing intrusive ads |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/ex-mozilla-ceo-try-braves-new-browser-for-a-faster-private-web/ |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=CNET |language=en}} In 2016, the company released the Brave browser positioning it as a privacy-focused browser that blocks ads and trackers by default.{{Cite web |last=McCarthy |first=Kieren |title=New open-source ad-blocking web browser emerges from brain of ex-Mozilla boss Eich |url=https://www.theregister.com/2016/01/20/brave_adblocking_browser/ |access-date=2025-06-14}}{{Cite web |date=2016-01-21 |title=Former Mozilla CEO Tackles Ad Blocking Via 'Brave' Browser |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/former-mozilla-ceo-tackles-ad-blocking-via-brave-browser |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=PCMAG |language=en}} Early plans for the browser proposed creating a system through which Brave could replace the ads shown by websites with advertisements of its own in a manner that would be privacy preserving.{{Cite web |last=Price |first=Rob |title=The former CEO of Mozilla is launching a web browser that blocks all ads by default |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/former-mozilla-ceo-brendan-eich-launches-ad-blocking-web-browser-brave-2016-1 |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}

In the same year, Brave Software acquired Link Bubble, an Android web browser that preloaded websites in floating bubbles before users clicked on links while browsing text on their phones.{{Cite web |title=Clearing Google's hurdle, Brave's ad-blocking browser arrives |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/brave-software-ad-block-browser-clears-google-hurdle/ |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=CNET |language=en}}{{Cite journal |date=2016 |title=FOSS BYTES. |journal=Open Source for You |volume=4 |issue=6 |pages=10–14 |issn=09741054}} The Link Bubble app was subsequently re-branded into the Brave browser. However, the unfamiliar interface, along with limitations in how Android's WebView engine handled rendering websites on background threads, led Brave to separate the two products in 2017. Brave was re-released as a conventional tabbed browser, while Link Bubble continued as a standalone app.{{Cite web |date=2017-03-11 |title=Unpublishing Link Bubble |url=https://brave.com/blog/unpublishing-link-bubble/ |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=Brave |language=en}}

In 2017, Brave introduced the Basic Attention Token (BAT), an Ethereum-based cryptocurrency.{{Cite web |date=2020-06-10 |title=How to Earn and Use Cryptocurrency With the Brave Browser |url=https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-earn-and-use-cryptocurrency-with-the-brave-browser |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=PCMAG |language=en}} Brave intended for it to be used as a medium through which publishers and content creators, who would have typically relied on advertising revenue to be paid directly by the person viewing the content.{{Cite web |title=You can get some Brave crypto tokens free to fund website publishers and YouTube stars |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/brave-browser-begins-million-dollar-token-giveaway/ |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=CNET |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Russell |first=Jon |date=2017-06-01 |title=Former Mozilla CEO raises $35M in under 30 seconds for his browser startup Brave |url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/06/01/brave-ico-35-million-30-seconds-brendan-eich/ |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}} The project raised approximately $35 million through an initial coin offering and was eventually integrated into the Brave Rewards system in 2018 where users could watch ads through the browser which would in turn earn them the token, which they could subsequently share with creators and publishers.{{Cite web |last=Kamsky |first=Andrew |date=2023-07-03 |title=A Beginner’s Guide To Understanding Brave Browser And BAT |url=https://www.ccn.com/a-beginners-guide-to-understanding-brave-browser-and-bat/ |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=CCN.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Lomas |first=Natasha |date=2018-06-20 |title=Blockchain browser Brave starts opt-in testing of on-device ad targeting |url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/20/blockchain-browser-brave-starts-opt-in-testing-of-on-device-ad-targeting/ |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}

Until late 2018, Brave was built using a fork of Electron called Muon, which the company claimed offered improved security over the standard Electron framework. In October 2018, Brave announced that it would transition to building the browser on top of the Chromium codebase.{{Cite web |title=Brave browser moves to Chromium codebase, now supports Chrome extensions |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/brave-browser-moves-to-chromium-codebase-now-supports-chrome-extensions/ |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=ZDNET |language=en}} Chromium also served as the foundational codebase for browsers like Google Chrome, Vivaldi and Opera at that time. Despite Chromium being maintained by Google, Brave stated that it would not integrate any Google services into the browser.{{Cite web |date=2018-03-28 |title=Brave Unveils Development Plans for Upcoming 1.0 Browser Release, Including Transition to Chromium Front-End |url=https://brave.com/blog/development-plans-for-upcoming-release/ |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=Brave |language=en}}{{cite web |last=Cimpanu |first=Catalin |title=Brave browser moves to Chromium codebase, now supports Chrome extensions |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/brave-browser-moves-to-chromium-codebase-now-supports-chrome-extensions/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116015849/https://www.zdnet.com/article/brave-browser-moves-to-chromium-codebase-now-supports-chrome-extensions/ |archive-date=16 January 2019 |access-date=10 February 2019 |publisher=ZDNet}} The company cited the need to reduce the maintenance burden of supporting a custom user-interface framework as the primary motivation for the change. According to Brave, the switch resulted in a 22 percent performance improvement over earlier versions.{{Cite web |date=2018-10-18 |title=The New Brave is 22% Faster |url=https://brave.com/blog/new-brave-22-percent-faster/ |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=Brave |language=en}} The final Muon-based version of Brave was released in January 2019, after which the Muon variant was declared end-of-life and users were encouraged to migrate to the Chromium-based version.{{Cite web |title=Brave browser goes ‘full-Chromium’ by adopting Google UI |url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/1712033/brave-browser-goes-full-chromium-by-adopting-google-ui.html |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=Computerworld |language=en}}

In 2019, Brave released their 1.0 version across all platforms, the 1.0 version signaled that the browser was finally out of beta and was ready for mass adoption.{{Cite news |last=Finley |first=Klint |title=The Brave Browser Extends Its Payouts to iOS |url=https://www.wired.com/story/brave-browser-ios-payments/ |access-date=2025-06-14 |work=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}} The 1.0 released the Brave Ads system to their iOS browser version and introduced a way for users to sell their Basic Attention Tokens on cryptocurrency exchanges through a partnership with a cryptocurrency exchange company called Uphold. Users who signed up to accounts on Uphold were able to exchange their BATs for an equivalent amount US dollars.{{Cite web |last=Chaudhry |first=Aliya |date=2019-11-13 |title=Brave 1.0 launches, bringing the privacy-first browser out of beta |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/13/20962085/brave-beta-1-0-privacy-browser-chrome-firefox-safari-ad-block-tracker |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=The Verge |language=en-US}}

In 2020, Brave introduced Brave Today, a privacy-preserving news feed integrated into the browser’s new tab page. The feature delivered personalized news content without revealing users’ IP addresses to publishers or ad networks, using Brave’s custom content delivery network (CDN).{{Cite web |last=Goodin |first=Dan |date=2020-12-10 |title=Brave browser-maker launches privacy-friendly news reader |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/12/brave-browser-maker-launches-privacy-friendly-news-reader/ |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=Ars Technica |language=en}} However, Gizmodo noted that while the feed avoided third-party tracking, users could still be shown ads through Brave’s own Brave Ads program instead of publisher-served ads.{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Rhett |date=2020-12-11 |title=Brave Releases Privacy-Focused News Reader |url=https://gizmodo.com/brave-releases-privacy-focused-news-reader-1845862802 |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=Gizmodo |language=en-US}} The feature was later renamed Brave News.{{Cite web |date=2020-12-10 |title=Brave Introduces Brave News, the Privacy-Preserving News Reader Integrated Into the Browser |url=https://brave.com/blog/announcing-brave-today/ |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=Brave |language=en}} In the same year, Brave was found to surreptitiously adding their own referral codes to the end of auto-completed URLs typed into the browser URL bar.{{Cite web |last=Lyons |first=Kim |date=2020-06-08 |title=Brave browser CEO apologizes for automatically adding affiliate links to cryptocurrency URLs |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/8/21283769/brave-browser-affiliate-links-crypto-privacy-ceo-apology |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=The Verge |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2020-06-08 |title=Brave Browser Caught Redirecting Users Through Affiliate Links |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/brave-browser-caught-redirecting-users-through-affiliate-links |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=PCMAG |language=en}} Brave specifically targeted cryptocurrency exchanges like Binance and Coinbase with which it had advertising agreements with. Brave also added their referral codes to web search links when a user searched the terms "bitcoin", "ethereum" or "litecoin" in their browser.{{Cite web |last=Gerard |first=David |date=2020-06-06 |title=The Brave web browser is hijacking links, and inserting affiliate codes |url=https://davidgerard.co.uk/blockchain/2020/06/06/the-brave-web-browser-is-hijacking-links-and-inserting-affiliate-codes/ |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain |language=en-GB}} In response to the criticism after this practice was discovered, the CEO, Brendan Eich said that the addition of the referral codes in the URL bar was a mistake and that the addition of such advertising would be made opt-in.{{Cite web |last=Fearn |first=Nicholas |date=2020-06-09 |title=Brave private browser accused of deceiving users over affiliate links |url=https://www.tomsguide.com/news/brave-affiliate-links-autocomplete |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=Tom's Guide |language=en}}

On March 3, 2021, Brave Software announced the acquisition of Tailcat, a search engine developed by the team formerly responsible for the privacy search and browser products at Cliqz, a holding of Hubert Burda Media.{{Cite web |date=2021-03-03 |title=Brave acquires search engine to offer the first private alternative to Google Search and Google Chrome on both mobile and desktop |url=https://brave.com/blog/brave-search/ |access-date=2025-06-03 |website=Brave |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Lomas |first=Natasha |date=2021-03-03 |title=Brave is launching its own search engine with the help of ex-Cliqz devs and tech |url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/03/brave-is-launching-its-own-search-engine-with-the-help-of-ex-cliqz-devs-and-tech/ |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}} In October 2021, Tailcat was rebranded Brave Search and became Brave's default search engine on new installations.{{Cite news |last=Burgess |first=Matt |title=Privacy-First Browser Brave Is Launching a Search Engine |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/brave-browser-search |access-date=2025-06-14 |work=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}} In the same year, Brave also launched a cryptocurrency wallet built into the browser claiming that it was less susceptible to phishing than similar products by MetaMask which could be installed as browser extensions. Brave also claimed that their implementation required less CPU resources to operate. During its launch it primarily supported Ethereum or Ethereum-based blockchains and did not have support for Bitcoin or Dogecoin cryptocurrencies.{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Mitchell |date=2021-11-16 |title=Brave built its own crypto wallet into its browser |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/16/22785588/brave-web-browser-crypto-wallet-web3-nft-native |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=The Verge |language=en-US}}

In 2023, Brave launched Brave Leo, a privacy-preserving large-language model that would power AI features inside the browser like a chatbot that would summarize web pages and answer questions about a page.{{Cite web |last=Weatherbed |first=Jess |date=2023-11-02 |title=Brave responds to Bing and ChatGPT with a new “anonymous and secure” AI chatbot |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/2/23943193/brave-leo-ai-assistant-chatbot-release-date-price |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=The Verge |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Brave browser's free Leo AI dodges questions about the 2020 election |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/2131256/braves-free-leo-ai-dodges-questions-about-the-2020-election.html |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=PCWorld |language=en}} To prevent user-data from reaching the large-language model providers, Brave claimed to use a HTTPS proxy and host models on their own servers. When a user made a request, the request was routed through Brave's server that would hide and obfuscate the user's IP address, Brave claims to store no logs of user's interactions on their servers.{{Cite web |last=Mehta |first=Ivan |date=2023-11-02 |title=Brave's Leo AI assistant is now available to desktop users |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/11/02/braves-leo-ai-assistant-is-now-available-to-desktop-users/ |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}} In 2024, the models were rolled out to Android and iOS devices{{Cite web |last=Lawler |first=Richard |date=2024-03-01 |title=Brave brings its AI browser assistant to Android. |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/29/24087167/brave-brings-its-ai-browser-assistant-to-android |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=The Verge |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Pierce |first=David |date=2024-04-07 |title=AI is taking over your web browser |url=https://www.theverge.com/24122230/ai-web-browsers-opera-brave-jon-stewart-john-oliver-delivery-lego-installer-newsletter |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=The Verge |language=en-US}} and AI was subsequently integrated into Brave Search as well.{{Cite web |title=Brave search engine adds privacy-focused AI - no Google or Bing needed |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/brave-search-engine-adds-privacy-focused-ai-no-google-or-bing-needed/ |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=ZDNET |language=en}}

Reception of the Brave browser has been mixed. The browser has received coverage for its privacy-focused features, including its built-in ad blocker{{Cite web |last=McCarthy |first=Kieren |title=New open-source ad-blocking web browser emerges from brain of ex-Mozilla boss Eich |url=https://www.theregister.com/2016/01/20/brave_adblocking_browser/ |access-date=2025-06-14}} and protections against tracking techniques such as browser fingerprinting,{{Cite web |title=Brave to end 'Strict' fingerprinting protection as it breaks websites |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/brave-to-end-strict-fingerprinting-protection-as-it-breaks-websites/ |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=BleepingComputer |language=en-us}} local port enumeration,{{Cite web |last=Goodin |first=Dan |date=2023-06-29 |title=Brave aims to curb practice of websites that port scan visitors |url=https://arstechnica.com/security/2023/06/brave-will-soon-control-which-sites-can-access-your-local-network-resources/ |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=Ars Technica |language=en}} cross-site leaks,{{Cite web |title=Brave browser to block “open in app” prompts, pool-party attacks |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/brave-browser-to-block-open-in-app-prompts-pool-party-attacks/ |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=BleepingComputer |language=en-us}} and bounce tracking.{{Cite news |title=Brave browser to tackle 'bounce tracking' |url=https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/09/brave_bounce_tracking/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250327013407/https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/09/brave_bounce_tracking/ |archive-date=27 March 2025 |access-date=2025-06-15 |language=en |url-status=live }} These features are bundled under the Brave Shields system, which comes enabled by default. Brave also includes a Private Window mode that routes browsing activity through the Tor network, that claimed to increase anonymity when accessing websites.{{Cite web |title=Brave privacy bug exposes Tor onion URLs to your DNS provider |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/brave-privacy-bug-exposes-tor-onion-urls-to-your-dns-provider/ |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=BleepingComputer |language=en-us}} Independent tests have generally supported some of Brave's privacy claims.{{Cite web |date=2025-05-24 |title=Lose the Trackers: The Best Private Browsers for 2025 |url=https://www.pcmag.com/picks/stop-trackers-dead-the-best-private-browsers?test_uuid=02LlF0iWKsilxYTJVF8uH5y&test_variant=B |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=PCMAG |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Brave roasts DuckDuckGo over Bing privacy exception • The Register |url=https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/17/brave_duckduckgo/ |access-date=2025-06-15}}{{Cite journal |last=Radivojevic |first=Kristina |last2=Clark |first2=Nicholas |last3=Klempay |first3=Anna |last4=Brenner |first4=Paul |date=May 2024 |title=Defending novice user privacy: An evaluation of default web browser configurations |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0167404824000853 |journal=Computers & Security |language=en |volume=140 |pages=103784 |doi=10.1016/j.cose.2024.103784}} In tests conducted by the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Cover Your Tracks project, Brave was one of the few browsers to receive a “strong protection” rating{{Cite web |title=I thought my favorite browser blocked trackers but this free privacy tool proved me wrong |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/i-thought-my-favorite-browser-blocked-trackers-but-this-free-privacy-tool-proved-me-wrong/ |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=ZDNET |language=en}} and was found to include randomized fingerprinting protections. Similarly, Brave scores highly on PrivacyTests.org, an independent comparison site maintained by privacy researcher Arthur Edelstein. While Edelstein is employed by Brave Software, he has stated that the project is maintained independently of his work at the company. A 2021 academic study comparing data collection practices across browsers found that Brave transmitted the least amount of identifying data to its parent company.{{Cite journal |last=Leith |first=Douglas J. |date=2021 |title=Web Browser Privacy: What Do Browsers Say When They Phone Home? |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9374407/ |journal=IEEE Access |volume=9 |pages=41615–41627 |doi=10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3065243 |issn=2169-3536}}

However, Brave’s privacy practices have not been without criticism. In 2020, the company was found to be appending affiliate referral codes to the end of certain cryptocurrency exchange URLs typed into the browser’s address bar. The practice applied to exchanges such as Binance and Coinbase, and was later discovered to extend to suggested search queries for terms like “bitcoin” and “ethereum.” Following media attention, Brave CEO Brendan Eich called the behavior a mistake, and stated that the use of affiliate content would be made opt-in going forward.{{Cite web |date=2020-06-08 |title=Brave Browser Caught Redirecting Users Through Affiliate Links |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/brave-browser-caught-redirecting-users-through-affiliate-links |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=PCMAG |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Gerard |first=David |date=2020-06-06 |title=The Brave web browser is hijacking links, and inserting affiliate codes |url=https://davidgerard.co.uk/blockchain/2020/06/06/the-brave-web-browser-is-hijacking-links-and-inserting-affiliate-codes/ |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain |language=en-GB}} The browser’s Private Window with Tor feature has also been subject to scrutiny. In 2021, researchers reported that DNS queries for .onion addresses were being leaked outside of the Tor network due to a misconfiguration in how Brave handled name resolution. The company later patched the issue. In 2022, Brave faced further criticism for bundling its paid virtual private network (VPN) product, Brave Firewall + VPN, into installations of its Windows browser, even for users who had not subscribed to the service.{{Cite web |last=published |first=Chiara Castro |date=2023-10-23 |title=Brave browser under fire for installing its VPN without user permission |url=https://www.techradar.com/pro/vpn/brave-browser-under-fire-for-installing-its-vpn-without-user-permission |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=TechRadar |language=en}}

Brave’s revenue model has also been the subject of debate. The browser originally proposed replacing ads on websites with its own privacy-preserving advertisements and sharing revenue with publishers. This plan was met with concern by web publishers who argued that Brave was redirecting revenue streams that would have otherwise gone to content creators and publishers.{{Cite web |title=U.S. newspapers threaten to sue Brave browser maker over ad-blocking scheme |url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/1670074/us-newspapers-threaten-to-sue-brave-browser-maker-over-ad-blocking-scheme.html |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=Computerworld |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Byrne |first=Michael |date=2016-04-09 |title=Newspaper Publishers Fire Off a Cease and Desist Letter to Ad-Blocking Browser |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/newspaper-publishers-fire-off-a-cease-and-desist-letter-to-brave-browser/ |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=VICE |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Christine |date=2023-01-04 |title=Brave: A Great Browser With a Questionable Business Model |url=https://fossforce.com/2023/01/brave-a-great-browser-with-a-questionable-business-model/ |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=FOSS Force |language=en-US}} In 2018, YouTuber Tom Scott revealed that users had tipped his channel through the Brave Rewards program despite him not having signed up for the program or consenting to receive funds. Tom Scott noted that Brave had not paid him the tipped money and did not clearly show users that he was not enrolled in the program. In response, Brave subsequently updated the system to return unclaimed tips when the intended recipient was not verified with the platform and correctly show publishers who were not affiliated with the platform.{{Cite news |title=Prominent YouTuber Claims Brave’s BAT Payments System Violates GDPR |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/prominent-youtuber-claims-brave-bat-095126650.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250520195936/https://finance.yahoo.com/news/prominent-youtuber-claims-brave-bat-095126650.html |archive-date=20 May 2025 |access-date=2025-06-15 |work=Yahoo Finance |language=en-US |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Gerard |first=David |date=2019-01-13 |title=Brave web browser no longer claims to fundraise on behalf of others — so that’s nice |url=https://davidgerard.co.uk/blockchain/2019/01/13/brave-web-browser-no-longer-claims-to-fundraise-on-behalf-of-others-so-thats-nice/ |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain |language=en-GB}}

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