Basic Attention Token (BAT) is an Ethereum-based token that aims to disrupt the traditional model of digital advertising. The purpose of the token is to take power from advertising middlemen (which are internet giants such as Facebook and Google) who take the larger chunk of all advertising money.
Through BAT, users can be paid for watching ads and publishers can receive a more substantial share of advertising revenue.
BAT works through an online browser known as Brave. Brave is a privacy-focused browser which blocks ads and enables users to be paid in BAT when they watch ads.
The BAT project is lead by Brendan Eich, who is also the founder of Mozilla and JavaScript.
BAT growth experienced notable growth in 2018, with the Brave browser surpassing 5.5 million monthly active users at the end of 2018 compared to 1 million monthly active users at the start of the year.
The speed of the desktop app was increased by 22%, and the platform grew the number of verified users to 7 times what it was at the beginning of the year.
The project also developed new partnerships such as Dow Jones Media Group, Townsquare, Civic, Qwant and HTC.
In 2019, the project has begun on a good foot with the Brave browser reaching 20 million downloads on Android. The project also secured new partnerships in 2019 with Tap Network and Cheddar.
The Dow Jones Media Group partnered with Brave to test the use of blockchain technology in digital advertising. The publisher aims to bring premium content to new audiences through the partnership.
Townsquare media partnered with Brave with the intention of monetizing ad blocking traffic and testing the blockchain solution for digital advertising.
Qwant is a European search engine that prioritizes the privacy of its users. The search engine has become the default search engine for Brave in France and Germany.
Civic partnered with Brave, providing identity verification and other KYC requirements for Brave publishers.
Finally, HTC announced that Brave will be the default browser on their blockchain phone known as HTC Exodus 1.
On January 29, 2019, Brave announced a partnership with Cheddar, a leading post-cable network company covering business news and general news.
This partnership entails free subscriptions to premium Cheddar content for Brave browser users. Hundreds of thousands of users will be able to take advantage of this offer via the Brave platform.
Brave browser users will have access to Cheddar premium content for 3 months. Cheddar is also a verified publisher on the BAT platform, which means desktop users of the Brave browser can contribute BAT to Cheddar.
Founder and CEO of Cheddar, Jon Steinberg, had this to say:
“Cheddar viewers are obsessed with crypto; we even have a show dedicated to it – The Crypto Craze. The idea of unlocking our premium feeds for Brave users via crypto funding, with no sign-up, seemed like a natural way to engage a passionate community that will no doubt enjoy our content”
This partnership with Cheddar creates more utility value for the BAT ecosystem. It is also expected to draw in more users for Brave.
TAP Network is an advertising and data network that uses blockchain to connect brands to consumers and rewards consumers directly for their purchases.
At the 2019 World Mobile Congress, the network announced a partnership with BAT which allows BAT to be redeemed for real-world rewards offered by the 250,000 brand partners of the TAP Network.
The brands include well-known names such as Amazon, Starbucks, Apple, Hilton, Red Bull and even charities like Red Cross.
The TAP Network has its own coin known as the TAP Coin which is a stablecoin aimed at facilitating transactions between brands, publishers and consumers.
With this partnership, the utility of BAT is not limited to the Brave browser — it has extended to top brands in the real world through the TAP ecosystem. This BAT feature on TAP is expected to become functional in the coming months.
Lin Dai, co-founder and CEO of TAP Network, said of the partnership:
“Consumer data is being misused by major internet companies and TAP Network empowers consumers to directly take control of their own data and get rewarded from top brands. We are excited to partner with Brave to further the mission of protecting consumer privacy, and rewarding users for participating in the advertising ecosystem”
The BAT ecosystem is one of the fastest growing ecosystems in the crypto world. With new features and new partnerships, the blockchain advertising model is becoming a stronger competitor to the traditional model.
Recently, the co-founder of Wikipedia declared he has switched from Chrome to Brave, giving the BAT ecosystem more credibility going forward.
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