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Misconception #1: All Ads Are Blocked on Brave
Brave’s main selling point is its ability to block vexatious ads. It achieves this with the default Brave Shields feature that also blocks third-party trackers, pop-ups, and auto-play videos. Shields also blocks cookies across domains that can cause users the possibility of malicious tracking.
Since this is Brave’s most salient feature, it’s easy to think that the browser is a completely ad-free land.
In the truest sense of the word, Brave features an “opt-in advertising ecosystem” — which is exactly as it sounds — you can choose to see or not see ads.
Now, the “opt-in” is the default setting of the browser. For this reason, you need to enable ads to view them. You also have the option to control when and how many ads to display. And unlike other browsers where ads will be all over the web page, making it cumbersome and crowded, Brave presents ads as push notifications that you can view or ignore.
Brave rewards users for their “attention” in line with its many browser firsts. Users receive 70% of ad revenue, and a quick web search shows that users report earning around 3-5 BAT per month.
Misconception #2: BAT and Brave are the same thing
People who have heard of Brave have probably heard of BAT as well, and that’s it. It’s not uncommon to hear someone say they want to “download BAT browser” or “buy some Brave coins.”
As mentioned above, Brave is the revolutionary privacy-focused browser that protects users from third-party trackers by default, making it arguably the most private browser. Brave integrates blockchain technology to support the Basic Attention Token (BAT). BAT, built on Ethereum and integrated with Solana, is the native token of the Brave ecosystem.
BAT is the lever that controls the Brave ecosystem. For one, it’s the incentive for displaying ads in the browser. Users can choose to view ads and collect Brave Rewards in the form of BAT.
Because users’ attention is valued and rewarded, advertisers can actually be sure that their ads are displayed. Brave Rewards also allows users to tip publishers and content creators whose work they like right in the browser. Ultimately, you get a virtuous circle that’s fair to everyone, with BAT feeding it all.
You have two options with your BAT:
- Redirect it to the system by rewarding content publishers whose work you appreciate.
- Exchange it for cryptocurrencies or cash on major exchanges like Gemini, Coinbase, Kraken, and Binance.
Wrong idea #3: You Need a Wallet to Start Earning BAT
Another misconception about Brave. Actually, once you download your browser and choose to view ads, you start earning BAT automatically. Your tokens are saved locally on your browser in the Brave Wallet. This wallet allows you to manage, buy, and transfer your BAT.
However, Brave does not support withdrawal/cashout from the Brave wallet at this time. To withdraw BAT, you will need to register for an external wallet such as Uphold and Gemini, which Brave has partnered with. To do this, tap “verify wallet” in Brave Rewards and follow the instructions. Once you’ve created your wallet, you can:
- Exchange your BAT for fiat and crypto.
- Buy more BAT by exchanging fiat for crypto or crypto for crypto.
- Keep your BAT.
- Transfer BAT from Brave Wallet to external wallet.
What is Brave’s value proposition?
The Internet has become an omnipresent rendezvous of modern existence. Over half of the world’s population goes online every day to search for information, network with others, play games and more. The world wide web is no longer a luxury, but rather an indispensable component of people’s lives. But the proliferation of the Internet has also produced a negative aspect to privacy: ads.
If you’re thinking, what’s so bad about ads? Well, the ads themselves are not so bad, but the same cannot be said about the process by which they address the public. Every time you search for something online, advertisers create a digital profile of you that is then used to target you with ads based on your fingerprint.
The conversation about user privacy has never been more relevant than in the wake of massive data breach scandals like Cambridge Analytica. Search giant Google has also been on site for privacy concerns, including tracking users and storing users’ personally identifiable information (PII).
Conclusions
In this context, Brave completely re-imagines everything. The browser, founded by JavaScript creator and Mozilla Firefox co-founder Brendan Eich, was launched in 2019. Although it pales in popularity to industry pioneers like Google and Yahoo, Brave holds up well.
Brave is a game changer for digital advertising and user privacy. For users who want to remain incognito in the wild west that is the Internet, Brave is the right option. Hopefully, this article will shed light on some of the unclear aspects of the browser.
