Google was the most dominant browser beating all its rivals like Yahoo and Bing to name a few. But a new player is now starting to dominate the industry. Brave, a crypto-friendly browser according to reports, is now the top browser choice. As of writing, the total number of downloads in Google play is now at 10,000,000 with a 4.5 rating from users. What could be the reason behind this? Let’s take a closer look.
Brave is a free and open-source web browser developed by BRAVE Software, Inc. based on the Chromium web browser. It blocks ads and website trackers and provides a way for users to send cryptocurrency contributions in the form of Basic Attention Tokens to websites and content creators.
As of 2019, Brave has been released for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. The current version features five search engines by default, including their partner, DuckDuckGo
When it comes to loading speed and security, Brave is the best alternative compared to Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox.
Recently, Google was accused of illegally invading the privacy of its users by tracking their internet use through browsers, even those set in Google Chrome’s “incognito” mode or private browsing. A lawsuit was filed against the company in connection with this.
According to the complaint, data was collected “even when Google users launch a web browser with “private browsing mode” activated (as Google recommends to users wishing to browse the web privately), Google nevertheless tracks the users’ browsing data and other identifying information”.
In a statement by Brendan Eich, chief executive and co-founder of Brave :
“Users are fed up with surveillance capitalism, and 20 million people have switched to Brave for an entirely new Web ecosystem with an opt-in ad economy that puts them back in control of their browsing experience. The global privacy movement is gaining traction, and this milestone is just one more step in our journey to make privacy-by-default a standard for all Web users.”
Brave rewards users for viewing ads using its Basic Attention Token (BAT) cryptocurrency. Users can choose when to view ads and earn a 70% cut from ad revenue. This is far better compared to Google Chrome’s model, which solely accrues its revenues.
According to a blog post on its website, the browser now has 20,000,000 active users and 7 million active users. Whether it’s going to continue to dominate and stay on top of its rivals will depend on the consistency of its performance. But for now, it’s no doubt the most favorite browser amongst its competitors including Google.
