What is Basic Attention Token (BAT)?

Deep Dive

1. Purpose & Value Proposition

BAT aims to fix digital advertising’s inefficiencies by prioritizing user privacy and fair compensation. Traditional ads often track users, compromise data, and divert revenue from creators. BAT’s model, integrated into the Brave Browser, allows users to opt into privacy-respecting ads and earn 70% of ad revenue in BAT tokens. Advertisers gain targeted reach without invasive tracking, while creators receive direct payments from users via BAT tips.

2. Technology & Tokenomics

BAT is an ERC-20 token on Ethereum, ensuring compatibility with decentralized apps and wallets. Its fixed supply of 1.5 billion tokens was allocated as follows:
- 1 billion BAT sold in a 2017 ICO to fund development.
- 300 million reserved for user growth incentives.
- 200 million allocated to the Brave team and partners.

Tokens circulate via Brave Rewards (users), ad purchases (advertisers), and creator payouts. BAT’s deflationary design avoids inflation risks, with over 1.49 billion already in circulation.

3. Ecosystem & Key Differentiators

BAT’s utility centers on the Brave Browser, which blocks trackers and ads by default while offering an opt-in rewards system. Unique features include:
- Privacy-preserving ads: Ads are anonymized and processed locally.
- Cross-platform tipping: Users can tip creators on YouTube, Twitter, and other platforms directly in BAT.
- Self-custody payouts: Recent upgrades enable BAT rewards to be held in user-controlled wallets like Solana.

Brave’s growth (101M monthly active users as of November 2025) drives BAT adoption, creating a closed-loop economy where attention is measured and rewarded without compromising privacy.

Conclusion

BAT reimagines digital advertising by aligning incentives among users, creators, and advertisers through blockchain transparency and privacy-first design. As Brave’s user base expands, can BAT scale its ecosystem while maintaining its core ethos against competing platforms?