Cryptocurrency geeks are hoping their search for the holy grail of a killer blockchain app has finally arrived.
The cause for their celebration is the cryptocurrency-powered web browser Brave.
The internet tool faces some tough, entrenched opposition from Google Chrome, Safari from Apple and Microsoft’s Edge but has still clocked up 20 million downloads.
Developers claim Brave loads pages at twice the speed of any other browser on a desktop and up to eight times faster on a mobile device.
They also claim Brave consumes 40% less battery power than rival browsers.
The big attraction for many users is the browser does not track or store user data.
No one sees your browsing data
“We’re not in the personal data business,” said a spokesman.
“Our servers neither see nor store your browsing data – it stays private, on your devices, until you delete it. Which means we won’t ever sell your data to third parties.
“You can choose your settings on a per-site or browser-wide basis. See how many ads and trackers are being blocked by Brave every day.”
The other big attraction are Brave rewards – but don’t be disappointed if you are a mobile user as they are only available for desktop devices.
Payment is in Basic Attention Tokens – a cryptocurrency coin.
“Activate Brave Rewards and give a little back to the sites you frequent most. Help fund the content you love – even when you block ads,” said the spokesman.
Browsing with rewards
“Browsing the web with Brave is free: with Brave Rewards activated, you can support the content creators you love at the amount that works for you.
“Brave can automatically distribute your contributions based on how much time you spend on sites. Or, you can choose to tip sites directly, and even offer a fixed monthly tip amount.
“All of this works while keeping your browsing history private. Your funds are made available to site owners through an anonymous ledger system, so you can’t be identified based on the sites you visit and support. Over 10,000 publishers and content creators have registered to receive Brave Rewards.”
The developers say building a new browser rather than basing an extension on existing code stops the spread of malicious code, improve download speeds and increase privacy.