Basic Attention Token
Are you frustrated about constant stream of adverts on your screen? Or worried about your data and privacy violation? Basic Attention Token (BAT) claims to be the solution. The co-founder of Mozilla and Firefox and the creator of JavaScript are part of the team behind this venture and their aim is to remove the middleman in digital advertising, hence grant both publishers and advertisers fair share of the profit by cooperating directly.
More than 600 million devices have ad-blockers installed, which combined with inadequate targeting hinders opportunities and harms advertisers.
The problem
More than 600 million desktops and devices have ad-blockers installed, which combined with inadequate targeting, hinders opportunities and harms advertisers as well as the websites themselves that will not profit unless there is a view or a click.
On the other hand, users are mistreated, under constant risk of malvertising and ads cutting their phone batteries by 21%. Publishers are being exploited by giants by the likes of Facebook or Google which they can take over roughly 70 cents of each dollar made from an advertisement. Basic Attention Token is developed on the Ethereum platform and built on an algorithm that rewards users with tokens based on their level of attention on an ad. It is beneficial to, and reciprocates all parties. However, these only occur on a unique browser, Brave, which blocks trackers and third-party ads. Users are in full control and choose the type of ads they want to be exposed to, resulting in a tailored advertising experience.
All parties involved are currently at a disadvantage. Publishers do not get the full share of the revenue as a large chunk is taken by third party ad services. Brave helps with targeting and keeping the suited audience as well as giving generated income directly to the publishers for free.
Albeit not directly profiting, advertisers objectively gain most from this platform. This is due to aforementioned tools that will allow upfront, tailored advertising reaching audiences willing to participate. Advertisers will also have the knowledge of what they are investing into without violating users’ privacy or collecting their detailed personal information.
Customers have developed distrust towards any kind of advertisement. They mostly find them irritating, insignificant and fraudulent. Brave and BAT will allow customers to view advertisements they choose without intrusive pop-ups. What is more, they will be rewarded to see the content directly matching their interests, whilst having their privacy protected.
However, complications may arise when implementing this technology into the “real-world”, as large quantities of new users are difficult to entice and break their established online habits since the only way to receive the token is through the Brave network. Additionally, the BAT was not intended for investment and it is only able to be used in the Brave system, obstructing potential investment and income opportunities. This ultimately prevents wider pool of people from contributing to inflate the venture’s recognition and returns.
In an ideal world, Basic Attention Token and the Brave network would be the perfect solution to manage and advance the online marketplace. It is transparent, beneficial for each party and would indisputably increase the quality of advertising. Nonetheless, its usability and expediency are yet to be proven effective.
Sources: https://basicattentiontoken.org
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