Brave (web browser)
free and open-source, privacy-focused web browser developed by Brave Software, Inc. based on the Chromium web browser
Brave is a free and open-source web browser which was first released in 2016. It is developed by US-based Brave Software, Inc. and based on the Chromium web browser. Brave is marketed as a privacy-focused web browser and includes features such as built-in advertisement blocking, protections against browser fingerprinting and a private browsing mode that integrates the Tor anonymity network. Brave also incorporates its own advertising through a rewards system based on cryptocurrency, which allows users to earn Basic Attention Tokens (BAT) by opting-in to view ads served through its ad network. While Brave has been praised for its privacy protections and features, it has faced criticism over early plans to replace publisher's ads with its own and missteps surrounding its handling of affiliate links and privacy vulnerabilities in its private browsing mode.
History
Founding and early development (2015–2016)
Brave Software was founded in 2015 by Brendan Eich, creator of JavaScript and former Mozilla CEO who left the organization after coming under fire for his support of eliminating the right of same-sex couples to marry, and Brian Bondy, a programmer who had formerly worked at Mozilla. In 2016, the company released the Brave browser positioning it as a privacy-focused browser that blocks ads and trackers by default. Early plans for the browser proposed creating a system through which Brave could replace the ads shown by websites with advertisements of its own in a manner that would be privacy preserving.
Acquisitions and transitions (2016–2018)
In 2016, Brave Software acquired Link Bubble, an Android web browser that preloaded websites in floating bubbles before users clicked on links while browsing text on their phones.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Brave (web browser)” as free and open-source, privacy-focused web browser developed by Brave Software, Inc. based on the Chromium web browser. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
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The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as free and open-source, privacy-focused web browser developed by Brave Software, Inc. based on the Chromium web browser. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 23, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q22906900. 2 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 2 carry qualifiers and 1 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2016, 2015 and 2018.
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This entry incorporates text from “Brave (web browser)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.