Basic Attention Token is the unit of account for the Brave Rewards digital advertising platform. It fundamentally restructures the ad-tech model by removing third-party trackers and middlemen. Instead, the browser locally matches ads to user interests without data leaving the device. Users receive 70% of the ad revenue share in BAT for their attention, while publishers receive contributions from users and ad revenue.

The Brave ecosystem has evolved beyond a browser into a privacy-focused super-app with AI and search capabilities:

Leo AI Integration: In 2024, Brave launched Leo, a privacy-preserving AI assistant built into the browser. Leo features a premium tier that accepts payments in BAT, creating a new utility sink for the token beyond advertising and tipping.

Self-Serve Ads Manager: The platform expanded its Brave Ads Manager to allow smaller advertisers to launch campaigns directly using credit cards or BAT, significantly increasing the velocity of ad buys and token utility.

Solana & Cross-Chain Support: The Brave Wallet now supports native swaps and DApp connections on Solana, Filecoin, and Bitcoin, positioning BAT as a multi-chain access token for privacy tools.

The BAT token serves as the currency for the attention economy:

User Rewards: Users earn BAT for viewing opt-in, privacy-preserving ads (Brave Private Ads).

Creator Tipping: Over 1 million verified creators on YouTube, Twitch, X (Twitter), and GitHub accept BAT tips directly from their fans.

Advertising Spend: Advertisers buy ad inventory using BAT (or fiat that is converted to BAT on the backend).

Paywalls & Premium Access: Publishers can use "Pay with BAT" to gate premium content or features.

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Token Standard: ERC-20 (Ethereum), SPL (Solana Wrapped)

Total Supply: Fixed cap of 1.5 Billion BAT (Fully Circulating)

Core Application: Brave Browser (Brave Rewards)

Key Feature: Privacy-Preserving Ad Matching (Zero-Knowledge proofs for confirmation)