Bitcoin Brave Browser Works As Advertised Despite No Bitcoin Integration Yet
Jp Buntinx · @http://twitter.com/jdebunt | Mar 09, 2016 | 03:46
Now that the brave browser has been available to users for little over a month, it provides an excellent timeframe to see how the Bitcoin community feels about this powerful tool. While Bitcoin integration is still not available to this point, the consensus seems to indicate brave is a much faster browser compared to any other offering in existence today. That being said, are people looking forward to micropayments from their browser to access premium content?
Also read: Bloggers’ Club 500: 11 Bitcoins Paid out so Far
The Brave Browser – One Month And Counting
Before anyone can gauge community response, a certain amount of time has to elapse to ensure people have a chance to try out this new browser. Brave is a very lightweight browser that aims to remove malicious ads from the equation, and replace them with “clean” advertisements on websites. Additionally, this should also remove the need for paywalls and whatnot as users can complete micropayments to access premium content.
Bitcoin integration will be a determining factor whether or not this concept has any viability in the long run. Although the digital currency has not been integrated yet [at the time of publication], a lot of people seem excited about the concept. However, people not using Bitcoin or other digital currency appear to be less optimistic about this concept.
Not that people are not looking forward to a better browser experience, as everyone knows it can be quite a pain in the rear to access web content. Various websites run scripts in the background which slow down the overall user experience, as ads need to be loaded to target that specific user. Brave offers a very viable alternative in this regard by letting users choose between blocking ads, replacing them, or allowing ads plus tracking.
Things will change when the Bitcoin wallet option is finally integrated, though, although there is still no hard release date for this functionality right now. Moreover, some other important features are missing, such as the option to save passwords in the browser. However, the team did release an update which lets users import favorites from other browsers, which is a big step in the right direction.
So far, most people on Reddit seem to agree Brave is working as advertised. The browsing experience is faster, cleaner, smoother, and far less computer resource-intensive. Moreover, the browser is now available for Android and iOS as well, improving the browser experience on mobile devices and tablets for those who want to experiment with Brave.
People Might Not Want Bitcoin Micropayments
The main purpose of Brave is to provide a better web browsing experience, and Bitcoin integration is only a secondary priority. That does not mean the team is not passionate about adding a Bitcoin wallet in the browser to let users tip content creators directly, though. But at the same time, there is the question as to whether or not the average consumer wants to use Bitcoin micropayments in the future.
Bitcoin micropayments make a lot of sense for content creators, as any website owner can integrate the option into their HTML code with relative ease. Putting up paywalls is not fun for content creators either, and the Brave browser offers them an alternative and viable solution. That is, assuming there will be enough Bitcoin users willing to use micropayments in the future.
Have you tried the Brave browser yet? Do you notice any difference with other browsers? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: Reddit
Images courtesy of Brave, Shutterstock
