What Is Basic Attention Token (BAT)?
The Basic Attention Token (BAT) is the native token of the Brave Browser. BAT is an Ethereum-based incentive token that powers the digital advertising part of the browser. It rewards users who watch ads and, at the same time, allows advertisers to generate higher ROI. Besides, publishers also receive BAT rewards depending on the amount of attention the ads get.
If you’ve never heard about the Brave browser, one of its main differences compared to other browsers is its digital advertising system. Of course, it’s unique due to the fact that it allows users, advertisers, and publishers to earn crypto. However, it’s also unique because Brave’s ads don’t track users. Besides, users watch commercials only if they want to, there are no annoying pop-ups.
Getting back to the token, since BAT is an ERC-20 token, it runs on the Ethereum blockchain. Apart from being earned, BAT tokens can also be bought or exchanged.
Don't forget to check the Basic Attention Token price charts before making a purchase (you can see one above).
Who Developed the Basic Attention Token?
The Basic Attention Token was developed by Brave Software. The main people behind it are Brendan Eich and Brian Bondy.
Brendan Eich was also the creator of JavaScript and the founder of Mozilla. He is the CEO of the company. Brian Bondy is a software engineer who has also worked as an engineer at Mozilla. He is the CTO of the BAT project. Both founders have more than 50 years of experience in the field of internet browsing software.
How Can the Basic Attention Token Be Used?
The Basic Attention Token is used not only to receive rewards but also to pay for placing ads on the browser. 70% of the paid tokens go to viewers while the remaining part is distributed to advertisers. Publishers don’t receive anything in this case.
However, users can always give their BAT tokens as tips to the websites they like. Especially since publishers don’t get a percentage from Brave just for hosting the ads. Though they can get BAT rewards if their hosted ads receive a lot of attention. The Guardian and the Washington Post are some of the most popular publishers on the Brave browser.
Lastly, BAT can be used as collateral on Maker. Maker is a lending platform that allows users to obtain loans by locking down collateral in exchange for DAI. Thus, you can use BAT to mint DAI tokens.
The Supply of the Basic Attention Token
The BAT token has a fixed supply of 1.5 billion tokens. An initial coin offering (ICO) was held for BAT tokens, during which investors bought 1 billion BAT tokens. The remaining tokens were distributed to the development pool and the user growth pool. What is interesting about the ICO is that it ended extremely fast. Not even a minute passed by as it sold out and generated $35 million.
Besides, it’s important to note that the Basic Attention Token price tends to fluctuate due to various factors affecting the market. Thus, as mentioned before, it’s crucial to monitor the BAT price to see how it changes over time.
How Can the Basic Attention Token Be Acquired?
The token can either be earned or purchased on different exchanges. Though before purchasing the token, have a look at the Basic Attention Token price charts.
Now, as you already know, BAT is a reward token. Thus, the most popular and logical way to acquire it is to earn it. There are several ways to do that:
- You can watch Brave browser ads. As mentioned before, the Brave browser distributes 70% of BAT tokens paid by the advertisers to the viewers. Therefore, all you have to do is watch some ads and you will get BAT tokens.
- You can sign up for the Brave Rewards Creators program. Join the program and publish your content to receive BAT tokens. You’ll get a portion of BAT generated by ad viewers if they watch them on your website. Besides, viewers can choose to reward you themselves.
- You can get BAT rewards randomly. These reward drops occur on a monthly basis. Their worth usually ranges from 25 to 40 BAT tokens. All you have to do is download Brave and enable “Brave Rewards”.
Basic Attention Token caught your attention? Before making any decisions, make sure to do your research. A good starting point is the graph above which will help you analyze the BAT price and its current trends.