Brave is a Chromium-based browser focused on privacy and ad-blocking, founded in 2015 by Brendan Eich (former Mozilla CEO and JavaScript creator). Built-in ad and tracker blocking, fingerprint randomization (farbling), Tor in private windows, optional Brave Search, and the BAT cryptocurrency reward system that pays users for viewing privacy-preserving ads. Around 80 million monthly active users in 2026.
What it means in practice
Brave occupies a specific niche: a Chromium-based browser with the privacy posture closer to Firefox-with-arkenfox than to stock Chrome. The technical defenses are real: ad and tracker blocking by default, fingerprint farbling (small randomized noise added to fingerprintable signals so each session looks different), HTTPS everywhere, third-party cookies blocked. The complications: BAT cryptocurrency integration adds a financial product layer to the browser that some users find off-putting, the Brave Search default has historical concerns about results-quality independence, the company has had controversies around affiliate-link rewriting (auto-completing crypto-exchange URLs with affiliate codes; resolved with a public apology). The choice between Brave and Mullvad Browser is largely a question of trust posture: for-profit product with crypto integration vs nonprofit-Tor-collaboration.
Who uses it, and against whom
Adopted by: privacy-aware users transitioning off Chrome who want Chromium-engine compatibility, cryptocurrency users who appreciate the BAT integration, mainstream users attracted by the ad-blocking-without-extension experience. Defends against: most advertising-network tracking (out of the box), most fingerprinting (via farbling), the long tail of analytics SDKs. Less useful against: the same nation-state adversaries that VPN-plus-browser cannot defeat without Tor, scenarios where Chromium-based engines have a structural disadvantage compared to Firefox-derived browsers (engine diversity argument), and adversaries who can detect Brave specifically (the farbling pattern is studyable).
What you can change today
Install Brave from brave.com or your platform’s app store. In Settings, Privacy and Security: turn on “Block fingerprinting” at Strict, “Block trackers and ads” at Aggressive, “Block cookies” at Strict (which blocks third-party cookies). Disable Brave Rewards if you do not want the BAT integration (Settings, Brave Rewards). Set Brave Search or DuckDuckGo as the default search engine. For sessions that need Tor: File, New Private Window with Tor (Brave’s Tor mode is convenient but not equivalent to Tor Browser; for sensitive Tor sessions, use Tor Browser proper).