Brave Browser introduces MetaMask-like Crypto Wallets feature for Ethereum tokens
You can now earn and redeem BAT browsing rewards in the comfort of your own wallet.
Brave Browser, the accompanying web browser for the Basic Attention Token cryptourrency, is introducing a new system it calls Crypto Wallets.
"Think of Crypto Wallets like Metamask, but built into Brave," says Brave Browser product manager Alex Wykoff. "In fact, Crypto Wallets is a lot like Metamask — it’s based on the same open-source codebase as Metamask in the same way that Brave is based on the same open-source codebase as Chrome"
"With Crypto Wallets, you can either manage your keys in a software wallet in Brave, or connect a physical hardware wallet (Ledger or Trezor) for more secure key-management."
Having a wallet is central to the Brave Browser user experience because earning cryptocurrency from web browsing is a large part of what it's all about. The idea is that users are shown ads that they might genuinely have some use for, and they pick up a portion of the advertiser's spend in the process.
This system aims to drive positive results for advertisers and payments for users, without compromising privacy.
It does this by performing the entire "ad matching" process on the user's device itself. This is the process by which user browsing information is analysed, and ads are targeted to them.
Where it stands
"At present, Crypto Wallets is for people who already have a working understanding of cryptocurrency generally, and Ethereum specifically, and know how to use hardware and software wallets together safely. This isn't a universal, built-for-everyone feature like Brave Rewards: it’s only for you if you are already familiar with crypto."
"But that’s just where we are so far. We built Crypto Wallets to lay the technical groundwork for a richer browsing experience that incorporates many kinds of crypto in many ways. The next big piece of work will add Uphold support to Crypto Wallets. That’ll let you manage assets in your Uphold account inside of Crypto Wallets, and directly transfer crypto assets between your verified Uphold account, Brave Rewards, and Crypto Wallets."
Uphold is an all-in-one digital asset exchange app, and it currently acts as one of the main gateways for users to convert their BAT rewards into fiat currency. But it's a custodial wallet, so anyone who wants to be their own bank is still out of luck.
That's what Crypto Wallets with separate Uphold integration will be changing.
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Disclosure: The author holds BNB, BTC at the time of writing.
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