The block-chain enabled web browser Brave, known for inbuilt ad and tracker blocking features has now emerged as one of the top browsers in Google Play rankings in Japan. Brave managed to dethrone giants such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox to reach the position of number 10 on the list, with Firefox being the closest competitor at position 14.
Disclosure: Brave is a sometimes-sponsor of Reclaim The Net.
The privacy-focused browser has been gaining steady popularity and user-base over time. Google Play rankings are determined by evaluating a browser-app against key metrics such as location and WiFi processing in the background, app-not-responding issues, and crash rates.
According to a screenshot posted on Reddit, it was revealed that the Brave browser saw two million downloads last month, while one of its arch-rivals Firefox saw a little over half-a-million downloads.
With a mission to “fix the web together,” Brave browser offers to provide a safer, faster and better user experience by blocking unwanted trackers and advertisements. Moreover, the browser offers a novel token system wherein users can earn a Basic Attention Token (BAT) by watching advertisements or claiming grants. These BATs can be used to tip artists and creators on platforms such as Reddit.
An interesting aspect about the aforementioned BAT tokens is the fact it is a blockchain solution that is based on Ethereum. BAT is an ERC-20 token. Brave announced developing this blockchain solution at the end of August this year.
The creator-reward program based on BAT works like this: users of the browsers earn tokens as they surf the web, these tokens are then tipped to their favorite creators, these creators need to verify themselves on the platform and simply collect their rewards.
A system such as this allows creators to become independent of ad-revenue and focus on delivering content in an uncensored manner. At a point of time where platforms such as YouTube and Twitch are tightening the leash around ad-revenue and making it hard for creators to be bold or aggressive with their content, programs such as these make a huge difference.
