Brave, known for prioritizing user privacy in the browser space, has officially announced the launch of its beta search engine , which will not only be embedded in its own browser but also accessible to users of other browsers through a dedicated website.
This company has amassed a loyal user base by offering privacy.tools and a cutting-edge ad model powered by blockchain.
Setting its sights on Google, Brave targets the search engine market, historically dominated by Google, which also stands as a data powerhouse.
Brave is Taking on Search!
The new search platform is not just built on a totally independent index, but it also vows not to monitor users, whether it's their searches or clicks.
The question remains whether this innovation will be sufficient to challenge Google, which commands 92% of the search engine market share, as reported by StatCounter.
Brendan Eich, the CEO and co-founder of Brave, described the search engine as follows:
\"Brave Search stands as the industry's most private search engine and the sole independent one, empowering users with control and assurance in seeking alternatives to major tech companies. Unlike traditional search engines that track and profile users and newer players that merely revamp old engines and lack proprietary indexes, Brave Search provides a novel approach to obtaining relevant results through a community-driven index while ensuring privacy.\"
He further mentioned his belief that people are searching for alternatives after losing faith in the surveillance-driven market, leaving a gap in the industry.
While privacy-centric search engines like DuckDuckGo have taken similar paths, they face challenges in competing within a market where even Microsoft's efforts have stalled.
BAT Could Potentially be Integrated Into Brave Search in Future Phases
Brave's browser distinguishes itself from rivals by integrating cryptocurrency wallets and blockchain-based technologies like the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) protocol.
Additionally, it introduced a blockchain-driven advertisement model utilizing Basic Attention Token (BAT), allowing advertisers to engage with their audiences more effectively.
Users of Brave can also choose to earn BAT tokens as a reward for viewing ads during their browsing experience.
While BAT saw a 21% decline over the past week per CoinGecko data, this announcement managed to halt its downtrend and boost its worth from $0.43 to $0.54, marking a 25% rise in just hours.
Brave's statement revealed that BAT would not be part of the initial Brave Search phase as it won't run ads in the beta stage.
Nonetheless, plans to potentially incorporate private ads and use BAT for revenue sharing in searches are on the table for future iterations once the company deems it ready.
Brave also aims to offer both paid, ad-free search options and free, ad-supported services down the road.
A Community-Driven Approach
Initially, Brave Search won't introduce additional blockchain features beyond its current setup but will rely on community input to refine the user experience.
With Brave eschewing rental of Google or Microsoft indexes in favor of building its own, it plans to leverage anonymous community contributions to improve search outcomes.
Through this strategy, the company hopes to, \"achieve greater autonomy and quality while safeguarding user privacy.\"
Although not fully decentralized, Brave’s approach of using community contributions to craft an index aligns with Web3 movement principles, potentially enhancing transparency.
In pursuit of this vision, Brave declared it will implement global independence metrics for all search functionalities, offering users insights into progress towards full autonomy.
