# Brave Brave is a free and open-source privacy-focused web browser developed by Brave Software, Inc. Founded in 2015 by [[Brendan Eich]] (creator of [[JavaScript]], former Mozilla CEO) and Brian Bondy. First released January 2016. ## Key Features ### Privacy & Security - **Built-in ad blocking**: Blocks ads and trackers by default - **Fingerprint protection**: Prevents browser fingerprinting - **HTTPS Everywhere**: Automatic secure connections - **Tor integration**: Private browsing mode with Tor network - **Shields**: Configurable privacy controls per-site ### Brave Rewards (BAT) - **Basic Attention Token (BAT)**: Cryptocurrency-based rewards system - Users can opt-in to view privacy-respecting ads - Earn BAT for viewing ads - Tip creators and websites with BAT - Built on Ethereum blockchain ### Additional Products - **Brave Search**: Independent search engine (default in Brave) - **Brave Talk**: Privacy-focused video conferencing - **Brave Wallet**: Built-in crypto wallet - **Brave News**: Privacy-respecting news feed - **Brave VPN + Firewall**: Subscription service ## Technical Details - Based on [[Chromium]] (uses Blink engine) - Written in JavaScript, Swift, C++ - WebKit on iOS/iPadOS - Available in ~160 languages - Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS ## Controversies - Early plans to replace publisher ads with own ads - Affiliate link insertion incident (2020) - Tor mode DNS leak vulnerability ## History - **2015**: Brave Software founded - **2016**: First browser release; acquired Link Bubble - **2016**: Received $7M+ in angel investments (Peter Thiel's Founders Fund, etc.) - **2017**: BAT token launched - **2019**: Version 1.0 released License: MPL 2.0 (Mozilla Public License) ## References - Official Website: https://brave.com/ - Source code: https://github.com/brave/brave-browser - Brave Search: https://search.brave.com/ - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_(web_browser)