Brave (web browser)
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Brave
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|---|---|
| Developer | Brave Software, Inc. |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Initial release | January 2016 |
| Engine | Blink, V8, WebKit (iOS) |
| Platforms | Desktop Windows, Linux, macOS Mobile Android, iOS |
| License | Mozilla Public License 2.0 |
| CEO | Brendan Eich |
| CTO | Brian Bondy |
| Monthly users | 100 million (October 2025) |
| Daily users | 42 million (October 2025) |
| brave.com | |
Brave is a free and open-source web browser developed by Brave Software, Inc., a company based in San Francisco, California. First released in 2016, Brave is built on the Chromium codebase — the same foundation used by Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, and Opera. The browser markets itself as a privacy-first alternative to mainstream browsers, with built-in ad blocking, protections against browser fingerprinting, and a private browsing mode that routes traffic through the Tor network.
Brave was co-founded by Brendan Eich, the creator of JavaScript and a former CEO of Mozilla, and Brian Bondy, a former Mozilla programmer. The browser introduced an unusual business model centered on cryptocurrency: users can opt in to view privacy-respecting ads and earn Basic Attention Tokens (BAT), an Ethereum-based digital currency. These tokens can then be used to tip content creators and publishers directly.
Since its launch, Brave has expanded into a broader product ecosystem that includes Brave Search, a built-in cryptocurrency wallet, a news reader called Brave News, and an AI assistant called Brave Leo. As of October 2025, Brave reported 100 million monthly active users and 42 million daily active users.
While the browser has been praised for its privacy features in independent tests, it has also faced controversies. These include secretly inserting affiliate links into cryptocurrency URLs, a bug that leaked Tor browsing data, and criticism from publishers who argued that Brave's ad-replacement model diverts revenue away from content creators.
1 History✎
1.1 Founding and early development✎
Brave Software was founded in 2015 by Brendan Eich and Brian Bondy. Eich had previously created the JavaScript programming language and served as CEO of Mozilla, the organization behind the Firefox browser. He left Mozilla in 2014 after public criticism over his personal support for a 2008 California ballot measure opposing same-sex marriage.
In January 2016, Brave Software released the Brave browser, positioning it as a privacy-focused tool that blocked ads and trackers by default. Early plans for the browser proposed a system where Brave would replace ads shown by websites with its own privacy-preserving advertisements — an idea that quickly attracted criticism from publishers.
That same year, Brave acquired Link Bubble, an Android browser that preloaded websites in floating bubbles before users tapped on links. The app was rebranded into the Brave browser, but the unconventional interface and technical limitations led the company to separate the two products in 2017, returning Brave to a standard tabbed browser design.
By August 2016, Brave had raised at least $7 million in early-stage funding from investors including Peter Thiel's Founders Fund, Propel Venture Partners, and the Digital Currency Group.
1.2 Basic Attention Token✎
In 2017, Brave introduced the Basic Attention Token (BAT), a cryptocurrency built on the Ethereum blockchain. The idea was to create a new way for people to support websites and content creators directly, rather than relying on traditional advertising. The project raised roughly $35 million through an initial coin offering (ICO) — a type of crowdfunding that uses cryptocurrency.
BAT was integrated into the browser through the Brave Rewards system in 2018. Users who opted in could view ads shown by Brave (not by the websites they visited) and earn BAT in return. They could then share those tokens with their favorite creators and publishers. In 2019, Brave partnered with a cryptocurrency exchange called Uphold, allowing users to convert their BAT into US dollars.
1.3 Chromium transition✎
Until late 2018, Brave was built on a custom framework called Muon, a fork of Electron that the company said offered better security. However, maintaining a custom framework proved difficult, and in October 2018, Brave announced it would rebuild the browser on top of Chromium, the open-source project maintained by Google.
The switch brought several benefits: compatibility with Chrome extensions, a familiar interface, and what Brave claimed was a 22% performance improvement. The last Muon-based version shipped in January 2019, and users were encouraged to switch to the new Chromium-based Brave.
In November 2019, Brave released version 1.0, marking the browser's official exit from beta and signaling it was ready for everyday use.
1.4 Brave Search✎
In March 2021, Brave Software acquired Tailcat, a search engine built by the former team behind Cliqz, a privacy-focused company that had also owned the popular browser extension Ghostery. The search engine was rebranded as Brave Search and became the default search engine in new Brave installations starting in October 2021.
Unlike most search engines, Brave Search uses its own independent web index rather than relying on results from Google or Bing. This makes it one of only a handful of search engines worldwide that crawl the web independently.
1.5 Cryptocurrency wallet✎
Also in 2021, Brave launched a cryptocurrency wallet built directly into the browser. Unlike third-party wallet extensions like MetaMask, Brave's wallet did not require a separate browser extension and claimed to use fewer system resources. At launch, it supported Ethereum and Ethereum-based blockchain networks, though it did not initially support Bitcoin.
1.6 Brave Leo✎
In late 2023, Brave launched Brave Leo, an AI assistant integrated into the browser. Powered by large language models, Leo can summarize web pages, answer questions about a page's content, and assist with general queries — similar to AI chatbots like ChatGPT.
To protect user privacy, Brave routes AI requests through its own servers using an HTTPS proxy that hides the user's IP address. The company states that it does not store logs of user interactions. Brave Leo was initially available on desktop and expanded to Android and iOS in 2024. AI features were also added to Brave Search around the same time.
2 Features✎
2.1 Brave Shields✎
Brave Shields is the browser's core privacy system, enabled by default on all websites. It blocks ads, trackers, third-party cookies, and scripts that attempt to identify users through browser fingerprinting — a technique where websites collect details about a user's device (screen size, installed fonts, browser version, etc.) to create a unique profile that can follow them across the web.
Shields also protects against more advanced tracking methods, including bounce tracking (where a website briefly redirects users through a tracking domain before reaching the intended page), cross-site data leaks, and local port scanning (where websites probe a user's computer to detect installed software).
Users can adjust Shields settings on a per-site basis. For example, a user might lower protections on a banking website that requires certain scripts to function while keeping strict blocking everywhere else.
2.2 Private browsing with Tor✎
Brave includes a "Private Window with Tor" mode that routes browsing traffic through the Tor network, a system designed to anonymize internet activity by bouncing connections through multiple encrypted relays around the world. This mode is intended for situations where users want a higher level of anonymity than standard private browsing provides.
However, in 2021, a bug was discovered where Brave's Tor mode was leaking DNS queries for .onion addresses (Tor-specific web addresses) to the user's regular internet service provider, partially defeating the purpose of using Tor. Brave patched the issue after it was reported.
2.3 Brave News✎
Introduced in 2020 as "Brave Today" and later renamed Brave News, this feature displays a personalized news feed on the browser's new tab page. Brave delivers news content through its own servers so that publishers and ad networks cannot see individual users' IP addresses. However, ads shown within Brave News come from Brave's own ad network rather than from the publishers themselves.
2.4 Brave Rewards✎
Brave Rewards is an opt-in system where users earn Basic Attention Tokens (BAT) by viewing privacy-respecting ads delivered by Brave. These ads appear as small notifications rather than embedded within web pages. Users can then use their earned tokens to tip websites, YouTubers, and other content creators who have registered with the Brave Rewards program.
The system is designed as an alternative to traditional web advertising: instead of websites tracking users to serve targeted ads, Brave performs ad matching locally on the user's device without sending personal data to advertisers.
3 Controversies✎
3.1 Affiliate link injection✎
In June 2020, a user discovered that Brave was automatically adding affiliate referral codes to URLs when users typed the addresses of certain cryptocurrency exchanges — including Binance, Coinbase, and Trezor — into the browser's address bar. Brave also inserted affiliate codes when users searched for terms like "bitcoin," "ethereum," or "litecoin." This meant Brave was earning referral commissions from these companies without users' knowledge.
The discovery was particularly damaging for a browser that marketed itself on privacy and transparency. CEO Brendan Eich acknowledged the behavior, called it a mistake, and said the feature would be changed to opt-in.
3.2 Tor DNS leak✎
In February 2021, security researchers found that Brave's Private Window with Tor mode was leaking DNS requests for .onion addresses outside of the Tor network. In practical terms, this meant a user's internet service provider (ISP) could potentially see that the user was trying to visit a Tor hidden service, even though the actual browsing traffic was encrypted. Brave released a fix shortly after the vulnerability was reported.
3.3 VPN bundling✎
In 2022, Brave drew criticism for installing its paid VPN product, Brave Firewall + VPN, as part of the browser's Windows installation — even for users who had not subscribed to the service. Critics argued this was intrusive and contradicted the browser's stated respect for user choice.
3.4 Publisher ad replacement concerns✎
Brave's original business model proposed replacing ads on websites with the browser's own advertisements and sharing a portion of the revenue with publishers. Newspaper publishers in the United States sent cease-and-desist letters to Brave, arguing that the company was effectively hijacking their revenue streams. While Brave eventually moved away from direct ad replacement in favor of its opt-in Brave Ads system, the controversy highlighted tensions between ad-blocking technology and the advertising-supported web.
3.5 Brave Rewards tipping controversy✎
In 2018, YouTuber Tom Scott discovered that users had been tipping his channel through the Brave Rewards program even though he had never signed up for it or agreed to receive funds. Scott pointed out that Brave had not paid him the tipped money and did not clearly show users that he was not enrolled. Brave responded by updating the system to return unclaimed tips and to more clearly label unverified creators.
4 Privacy testing✎
Independent evaluations have generally supported Brave's privacy claims. In tests by the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Cover Your Tracks project, Brave was one of the few browsers to receive a "strong protection" rating against tracking. A 2021 academic study published in IEEE Access compared how much identifying data major browsers sent to their makers and found that Brave transmitted the least.
Brave also scores highly on PrivacyTests.org, an independent browser privacy comparison site. The site is maintained by a researcher who works for Brave Software but has stated the project operates independently.