Brave Releases 1.0 Version of Their Innovative Browser

The creators of the ingenious open-source Brave browser – Brave Software – just announced the release of Brave 1.0.

The browser that blends privacy features with a blockchain digital advertising platform gives users a totally private, safe and three to six times faster browsing experience.

At the same time they are funding the web via a new attention-based service that includes privacy-preserving commercials and rewards.

Brave’s private advertisements and the Brave Rewards platform will be available not only to desktop and Android devices, but on iPhone and iPad devices as well.

A big thank you to all our loyal users, community members, and open source contributors: you've been using Brave, shared feedback with us, and helped make Brave 1.0 a browser we can now all share with everyone. pic.twitter.com/jhcIQcy5Dp

— Brave Software (@brave) November 13, 2019

Brendan Eich, co-founder and CEO of Brave Software, explained the global problem we are facing:

“Today’s Internet is broken, and users suffer the most. They are being tracked, tagged, and exploited; this not only violates privacy, but slows down page loads, drains batteries, and makes for a miserable experience. Meanwhile, publishers are losing revenue at a record pace due to a few gigantic super-companies and too many ad tech intermediaries. Advertisers are wasting time and money on an industry filled with fraud. Everyone with a legitimate stake in the open Web loses in this environment.”

…and what Brave brings to its users:

“Surveillance capitalism has plagued the Web for far too long and we’ve reached a critical inflection point where privacy-by-default is no longer a nice-to-have, but a must-have. Users, advertisers, and publishers have finally had enough, and Brave is the answer. Brave 1.0 is the browser reimagined, transforming the Web to put users first with a private, browser-based ads and payment platform. With Brave, the Web can be a rewarding experience for all, without users paying with their privacy.”

Eich shared what inspired them to create the browser:

“Either we all accept the $330 billion ad-tech industry treating us as their products, exploiting our data, piling on more data breaches and privacy scandals, and starving publishers of revenue; or we reject the surveillance economy and replace it with something better that works for everyone. That’s the inspiration behind Brave.”

Even while it was in beta, the browser managed to reach 8.7 million monthly users worldwide. Privacy and security of personal data is a serious concern of our modern society and is why users have interest in such products.

Brave is putting privacy on a pedestal as their browser blocks ads, trackers, phishing, malware and device fingerprinting by default. This essentially leads to enhancements in speed, performance and security.

With Brave your browser data will stay private and on your personal device no matter what, because the company does not store any user data on their servers – meaning that no leakage can ever occur.

Brave’s official 1.0 version features

Rewards that provide money for the open web

The cutting-edge Brave Rewards program allows users to reinforce publishers they like. When activated, people will be able to send BATs as a reward for their favorite content.

Payments can be sent directly or on a monthly basis to more than 300,000 verified websites such as Wikipedia, The Guardian, The Washington Post or publishers on GitHub, Twitter, YouTube and Twitch.

The Brave ads concept

The Brave browser includes the first ever private ad platform which is based on a blockchain advertising model. The huge reform this concept brings is that 70% of the revenue may be shared with users.

With Brave it is actually the users who decide whether to see an ad or not and in exchange receive BATs. Nevertheless, even if they agree to see ads and receive BAT – their data still stays on their device.

Up to now, more than 475 ad campaigns have been delivered with more than 130 million ads confirmed. Users receive ads from companies like Pizza Hut, Intel or Home Chef and can then transfer their BAT on their Brave Rewards wallet.  

A shield that blocks all trackers and ads

The Brave Shield that is on by default, blocks all trackers, third-party ads and autoplay videos. With Brave users can be sure that nobody will see their browsing habits or other personal information.

This blockage of unwanted events of course leads to faster load times, which is 3 to 6 times quicker than other browsers. When compared to Chrome on macOS, Brave saves 27 seconds per page and 22 seconds in comparison to Firefox. Brave uses less memory than other browsers – 40% better than Chrome and 47% than Firefox.

Global Chief Technology Officer at R/GA and Partner at R/GA Ventures, Nick Coronges, commented on the good sides of Brave:

“As the conversation around data privacy and transparency moves increasingly into the forefront, Brave shows us that it’s possible to create a more equitable value exchange between brands, content creators and consumers. We’re excited to see Brave’s continued innovation in the space with the 1.0 release, and looking forward to partnering on future collaborations that put people in charge of their data and their time spent online.”

Brave is available for free download in 52 different languages via their website, Google Play or the App Store.