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For some reason, I got this idea at some point that brave has a built in crypto miner as its form of monetization. Can anyone confirm if that's true or not? A b

For some reason, I got this idea at some point that brave has a built in crypto miner as its form of monetization. Can anyone confirm if that's true or not? A browser cutting out amp sounds like exactly the kind of browser I want Edit: not sure why I got downvoted. I'm asking a genuine question because I'm always looking for google alternatives, and firefox has been disappointing lately.

jaywalk 4y ago
They do have a weird crypto thing (not a miner, as far as I know) but it's easy to disable and forget about.
PaulBGD_ 4y ago
They’re monetized by selling ads in exchange for BAT, plus they probably hold plenty of BAT which they can sell over time as they continue to increase its value.
jonathansampson 4y ago
No miner; in fact we were the first browser (to my knowledge) to block crypto-miners back in 2017/18 when they began appearing on the Web (and being delivered via third-party ad networks). Brave does come with Brave Rewards, and optional component which enables users to participate in privacy-preserving advertising (ads are matched locally, on your device). Users who opt-in receive 70% of the associated revenue for ads they see. Rewards are delivered in the form of BAT (and ERC-20 token), which can be kept, or gifted to content creators across the Web as a means of support.
- silicon2401 4y ago
  Thanks for squashing that rumor. I'll definitely give brave a try with that crypto rumor resolved and the news that brave cuts out amp
  - InCityDreams 4y ago
    I'm a joe blow. Average user. I've been using brave for 3+ years. I try the other browsers fairly regularly. Always come back to brave. Check the brave:// flags (?), and go through every option under settings. I have the crypto off, but - looking more at the brave site (including the many problems), I'm beginning to err.... be convinced(!?).
- smoldesu 4y ago
  > Users who opt-in receive 70% of the associated revenue for ads they see. The other 30 percent goes right to Brave's pockets. In other words, they directly profit off of showing you advertisements. > Rewards are delivered in the form of BAT (and ERC-20 token), which can be kept, or gifted to content creators across the Web as a means of support. *only if those creators have an ERC-20 wallet. Many creators (like Tom Scott) have had their likeness appropriated without their consent to advertise this monetization scheme, despite the fact that they have no intention of ever using the service. As such, Brave dangles their ad revenue over their head, refusing to pay out in anything other than their own altcoin. It's a scummy design, arguably many times worse than the act of advertising in the first place. I hate ads, and I go to extreme lengths to stop them and the scummy behavior they inspire. That's why I can't support Brave in good conscience.
  - jonathansampson 4y ago
    > The other 30 percent goes right to Brave's pockets. In other words, they directly profit off of showing you advertisements. Correct. We are able to continue developing Brave with the remaining 30%. In this arrangement, the user chooses whether or not to opt-in, governs the degree to which they will participate, receives more than 2x what Brave gets, and never has their data harvested in the process. Win-win, no? Regarding the Tom Scott topic, you're quite mistaken there as well. Please see this response (to another user in this thread) for context: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31086397 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31086397. Brave offers auto-conversion of received BAT into various other types of assets and currencies. If you prefer Bitcoin, for example, you can choose to have your BAT automatically converted into that asset. No requirement to hold BAT.
    - aww_dang 4y ago
      My only problem is the KYC. I'm happy people are making money with ads. The KYC stuff is contrary to the privacy narrative. Fix that and I'm sold as a user, publisher and ad buyer.
      - jonathansampson 4y ago

jaywalk 4y ago

They do have a weird crypto thing (not a miner, as far as I know) but it's easy to disable and forget about.

PaulBGD_ 4y ago

They’re monetized by selling ads in exchange for BAT, plus they probably hold plenty of BAT which they can sell over time as they continue to increase its value.

jonathansampson 4y ago

No miner; in fact we were the first browser (to my knowledge) to block crypto-miners back in 2017/18 when they began appearing on the Web (and being delivered via third-party ad networks). Brave does come with Brave Rewards, and optional component which enables users to participate in privacy-preserving advertising (ads are matched locally, on your device). Users who opt-in receive 70% of the associated revenue for ads they see. Rewards are delivered in the form of BAT (and ERC-20 token), which can be kept, or gifted to content creators across the Web as a means of support.

silicon2401 4y ago
Thanks for squashing that rumor. I'll definitely give brave a try with that crypto rumor resolved and the news that brave cuts out amp
- InCityDreams 4y ago
  I'm a joe blow. Average user. I've been using brave for 3+ years. I try the other browsers fairly regularly. Always come back to brave. Check the brave:// flags (?), and go through every option under settings. I have the crypto off, but - looking more at the brave site (including the many problems), I'm beginning to err.... be convinced(!?).
smoldesu 4y ago
> Users who opt-in receive 70% of the associated revenue for ads they see. The other 30 percent goes right to Brave's pockets. In other words, they directly profit off of showing you advertisements. > Rewards are delivered in the form of BAT (and ERC-20 token), which can be kept, or gifted to content creators across the Web as a means of support. *only if those creators have an ERC-20 wallet. Many creators (like Tom Scott) have had their likeness appropriated without their consent to advertise this monetization scheme, despite the fact that they have no intention of ever using the service. As such, Brave dangles their ad revenue over their head, refusing to pay out in anything other than their own altcoin. It's a scummy design, arguably many times worse than the act of advertising in the first place. I hate ads, and I go to extreme lengths to stop them and the scummy behavior they inspire. That's why I can't support Brave in good conscience.
- jonathansampson 4y ago
  > The other 30 percent goes right to Brave's pockets. In other words, they directly profit off of showing you advertisements. Correct. We are able to continue developing Brave with the remaining 30%. In this arrangement, the user chooses whether or not to opt-in, governs the degree to which they will participate, receives more than 2x what Brave gets, and never has their data harvested in the process. Win-win, no? Regarding the Tom Scott topic, you're quite mistaken there as well. Please see this response (to another user in this thread) for context: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31086397 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31086397. Brave offers auto-conversion of received BAT into various other types of assets and currencies. If you prefer Bitcoin, for example, you can choose to have your BAT automatically converted into that asset. No requirement to hold BAT.
  - aww_dang 4y ago
    My only problem is the KYC. I'm happy people are making money with ads. The KYC stuff is contrary to the privacy narrative. Fix that and I'm sold as a user, publisher and ad buyer.
    - jonathansampson 4y ago