I was deep in the cryptocurrency cinematic universe before I even realized it.
Always interested in trying to give Big Tech as little of my data as possible, I had read a review of BRAVE browser in the summer of 2020. Thinking it couldn't hurt, I started to use Brave, impressed with its clean look, rapid page loads, and default no-tracking settings. And, I usually enjoyed the photos they showed on the home page. I added the recommended search engine, Duck Duck Go, and off I went on my merry way, exploring my COVID-era interests in much-improved privacy. No more would Big Brother know of my unhealthy obsession with post-War microcars! (I accept tips in Isettas and Messerschmidts, but if you're a stickler for 4 tires, I'll take Mazda Cosmo Sport!).
Pretty soon, though, the subliminal seduction of Brave implanted a new fascination with cryptocurrency. Here I thought I was just browsing, but really I was messing around with a gateway crypto drug. If you are trying to get your friends and family to join you in your crypto journey, Brave might be one of the best ways to draw them in.
I imagine that most of PublishOx community is familiar with Brave, so while I will mention some of its appealing features, mainly I am interested in how it lures users in to the world of cryptocurrency. Here are 3 ways Brave is really a gateway to a lifelong habit:
1. BAT - the Basic Attention Token. I know, I know, this is obvious, but when I started using Brave I had literally no clue what all that BAT stuff was about. Why would I want to look at ads on purpose when the whole reason I got Brave in the first place was so I wouldn't get so many annoying ads and popups? But there it sat in all its red, orange and purple mystique. BAT...Brave Rewards...Learn more... Hmm, I suppose it wouldn't hurt me to find out how I can get rewards for surfing the web like I normally do. And Boom! Once you click on that "Learn more" link, they hit you with tokens, and wallets, and creators. Still, it seemed like a pain to figure out and I didn't know what I could buy with their silly tokens. Seemed more trouble than it was worth, but BAT did get me to pay a little more attention to the...
2. Crypto Exchange and Wallet cards. I admit I was initially creeped out by the weird box on the browser homepage Gemini (ominous generic dystopian corporation!), BINANCE (sounds made up!), and CRYPTO.COM (if that's not a phishing site...). Eventually even a clueless noob like me started putting 2 + 2 together and realized that BAT were crypto tokens and that they could magically turn into Bitcoin somehow. I had already had a Bitcoin experience, so I got more and more curious, and - most importantly - more and more familiar with the exchange names and the concept of relatively easy trading.
So, I opted in to the Brave Rewards program, fantasizing about all the Bitcoin I'd be getting as my BAT treasure stacked up (haha). But even then, I needed one more push.
3. The Ads. Advertising works, at least a little bit, whether we like it or not. When I opted in to see my 5 Brave ads each hour, I started seeing Crypto.com, eToro, and Gemini ads. My eyes mostly glazed over, but one ad grabbed my attention - the BlockFi Visa Credit Card. Earn 1.5% back in Bitcoin? Yes, please! You see, an earlier fascination of mine had been maximizing airline miles for awesome trips around the world with my family. Under pandemic lockdown, watching my hoard of millions of airline and hotel points become worth less and less every day, I was ready for a new hobby!
And Brave gave me a sweet dose of exactly what I was looking for. It only took 2 months from the time I opted into Brave Rewards ads to me opening my first positions in BTC and ETH, getting on the waitlists for the BlockFi AND the Gemini credit cards, and even to starting this blog to capture the development of this new fascination.
That's why I think of Brave as a gateway crypto drug!
I guess that Brave used to have a referral program, but that wound down in Nov 2020, so this is just a straight up link if you would like to check it out or share it with your networks. I use it literally every day even though I still don't have $3 worth of BAT (so much for my dreams of infinite BTC!): https://brave.com/download/
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Exchanges and Wallets I Use and Enjoy
BlockFi -- https://blockfi.com/?ref=12bc0247
Celsius -- https://celsiusnetwork.app.link/160685ab0a
eToro -- https://etoro.tw/2KjXsOn
Gemini -- https://gemini.com/share/zqegnlh9
Faucets and Sites I Personally have Earned Crypto
Cointiply -- http://cointiply.com/r/p9Gyy
BetFury -- https://betfury.io/?r=601502337521da79ce95370b
Earn Tokens with Real Value for Free...Not Much, But Free!
Presearch -- https://presearch.org/signup?rid=2078735
Fun, Free, and..."Maybe They'll Pay Off Someday" Sites
FreeBitCo.in -- https://freebitco.in/?r=41144131
FreeEthereum.com -- https://freeethereum.com/?ref=120579
Pi Network -- https://minepi.com/PopPop6
