PSA: Current and upcoming changes to Rewards and Creators

[Saoiray]

Updates at the bottom of this topic

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Hey all! I just wanted to give some updates. If you haven’t realized, Brave has been working on adding on chain payments for Rewards and Creators. What this will mean, once implemented, is that exchange partners won’t be required and everyone should be able to participate regardless of country.

Foundation for Rewards

The very first movement in this way is Boomerang, which you can see in the link below, kind of trying to explain how it will work for Rewards and keep privacy:

Boomerang: A new privacy-preserving protocol from Brave Research to...

Creators

Currently implemented for Creators are on chain payments which will allow you to link any ethereum or solana wallet to be able to receive direct payments. If you add these options to your Creators, it will give users options to tip, directly using crypto in their wallets.

Things to note:

• Wallet will have to be signed. This means when the Creator is setting this up, you can’t just type in the address. You’ll need to have an extension or something to connect with.

• The person tipping will have to pay gas fees. This is essentially just sending from wallet to wallet, but making it easier to do.

• Brave will not take any percentages of anything tipped using this method. Only BAT tipped from custodial partners will have percentages taken out by Brave. (using traditional tipping method)

• Tips will be sent and received “instantly,” as this just is a normal wallet to wallet transaction. So it will get there as quick as the network allows it and you’ll be able to track via blockchain to make sure it arrives.

You can see the official announcement of this at the link below:

Announcing On-Chain Web3 Crypto Contributions for Brave Creators — BAT, SOL,...

Rewards, On Chain Payments

There is no ETA that has been given on when this will arrive for everyone. As it was shared recently, it is going to start off on an invitation only basis. The invitation will appear through browser notification within Rewards. Those who get the invite and choose to sign up will be able to start receiving Rewards payments directly to their Brave Wallet or any wallet they choose.

This will mean no KYC/AML will be required to participate in Rewards or to receive payments. Also then, countries like Germany and Philippines which have been restricted will have access to earn once again.

The big thing being worked on in testing right now is just trying to look at antifraud measures and working on some of the basics of efficiency. You can see an official notice on this below:

Brave announces initial rollout of self-custody Brave Rewards BAT payouts via...

<# How to get on the waitlist for on-chain Rewards

BlockSurvey (waitlist signup) is no longer active.

You can join the waitlist to get an invite via this link: N/A Keep in mind, you’ll need a Discord account to sign up.

To be clear, you must be on a fresh Rewards profile that isn’t linked to anything. So if you’re on Uphold or something, you need to Reset your Rewards at brave://rewards and then leave it disconnected.

Then you apply at https://blocksurvey.io/self-custody-brave-rewards-bat-payouts-via-solana--tA7YPZI6SgebicWYpiP.BA?v=o to join the waitlist. There is no guarantee for timeframe. You may be lucky and get invite within days or might get stuck waiting for months.

Make sure you have Discord setup as they ask for your Discord info and will use it to contact you if they have questions or concerns.

It may also be helpful to join the BAT Brigade Discord which is where a lot of helpful information is available. Not to mention they have a lot of community events, including airdrops and special competitions for chances to earn various prizes. While it’s not maintained directly by Brave, they do have some Brave staff there. This also is where some of the BAT Ambassadors chosen by Brave will hang out and talk. Invite for this would be https://discord.com/invite/9xsktrZmHK

Why couldn’t Brave have done this before?

Up until now, Brave has been trying to be very cautious as a newer company. This is especially true with how crypto regulations have constantly been changing. As I pointed out at * Why is KYC/AML required? and I want to connect to binance or Exodus - #2 by Saoiray is that there have been a lot of heavy requirements by governments and many exchanges or others that have been fined or imprisoned for failure to KYC/AML and all.

As Brave has grown and been able to learn about everything, they are more confident in being able to transition to the on chain payments…which is something they have always wanted to do. It’s just been a long journey to get to it. And we’re not quite there yet, but definitely making progress.

UPDATE: November 25, 2024 - Rewards 3.0 coming soon

The next thing I want to talk about is one of the more recent changes noticed in Rewards that has gone widely unannounced. Brave is focusing only on revshare for Brave Ads (Rewards). To clarify that this means, we will earn BAT only for ads that Brave is paid to show. So let’s say we see one ad for Brave Wallet and another ad for Cloaked. We will only be paid for the Cloaked ad and WILL NOT be paid for the Brave Wallet ad.

Since launching, Brave has long been tapping into the User Growth Pool (UGP) to have things like referral programs or to pay us for viewing ads for Brave products. Until now, if we saw an ad about Brave Talk or Brave Wallet, we would get paid a little bit of BAT from Brave just to incentivize us. However, this will no longer be the case. We will only get paid IF Brave is also earning something.

You can see this spoken about a bit officially at First to know: Some upcoming changes in Rewards 3.0

Other things changing:

• No more estimated earnings: They said something new will take its place. No idea what, except they said “more dynamic ways to earn rewards.”
• Auto Contribute is going away: This is something many have asked. They will still have options to subscribe to Creators to pay monthly and all, but haven’t said much on it.

[joero24]

This is awesome and great news! I’m looking forward to seeing this update. Thank you so much for sharing it.

[Saoiray]

Hey, just wanted to give a small update. A couple rounds of invites have been sent out. As of the last update given on June 18, 2024, invites were said to be on hold due to issues that are still occurring on Solana. Brave is working on improving RPC and other things to get the flow of payments on Solana out sooner.

As to when they resume sending invites, I’m not sure. It likely won’t be too long, but I’m guessing another month or so. This will again be to active Rewards users and will be random small groups as it gradually expands. No ETA has been given on when it will all go live for everyone.

[Saoiray]

Just wanted to give a little update as of July 19, 2024

Luke Mulks, VP of Business Operations at Brave, recently had the Tweet as below:

LukΞ Mulks 🦁⟁◎⟁

He wants to make sure that people who were were wrong by custodians or in countries that never had support are given a priority for on-chain Rewards invitations this time around. I don’t know how big of a group they will add, but you may want to reach out to him on that Twitter thread if you’re in one of those groups.

Keep in mind responding doesn’t guarantee you’ll get the invite, but at least is going to give you a better chance than not.

[Saoiray]

UPDATE: August 6, 2024

On today’s Community Call, Luke Mulks mentioned that there’s going to be a large group being added to on chain payments in the next month or two. He couldn’t tell us numbers or specific information yet, but did say that the focus is going to be on getting invites to people who live in countries that can’t connect to custodial accounts.

[Saoiray]

UPDATE: August 13, 2024

Luke Mulks confirmed they are in the midst of a very large invite to people for on chain Rewards. He said this is going to prioritize people in countries not supported by custodial accounts. I believe he said about 1/5 of all Rewards users will be receiving invitations in the browser.

An example on countries is that he mentioned Germany being one that should see invites.

NOTE

• On chain invites won’t be sent to anyone connected to a custodial account

• To be clear, this isn’t saying you are guaranteed to get an invite if you’re in one of those countries and not connected. But this next batch is prioritizing those users who haven’t been able to connect to a custodial account or earn.

• If you’re in a country that has sanctions, they still can’t invite.

• They did not mention when these invites would be going out, but I’m assuming within the next month or so.

[Saoiray]

UPDATE: August 27, 2024

For those interested, it was announced today that you can now join the waitlist for On-Chain Rewards with Solana. Here’s what you need to know:

1. To get an invite, you can’t be linked to a custodial account. So if you’re linked to Uphold, ZebPay, or whatever else…then you need to go to brave://rewards and reset. This will put Rewards back to default where you can’t earn. Keep it like that.

2. Make sure you have a Discord account. You will need to provide your Discord username as part of the application form. They will use it to communicate with you if needed.

3. Sign up at ____ BlockSurvey (waitlist signup) is no longer active. as of June 2025)

4. Be patient. They are adding people every month. You probably wouldn’t need to wait too long before you can join and start earning directly to your Wallet.

There’s no set timeline for when you might get an invitation, but they are working to bring in as many users as possible in the upcoming batches.

-NOTE-

Anyone in a country listed at https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/9053832354957-Unavailable-jurisdictions-for-Brave-Rewards won’t be able to participate in Rewards. All other countries should be accepted.

[Saoiray]

UPDATE: October 30, 2024

There’s some progress to report. Holders on Solana have increased from 2,469 on September 11, 2024, to 4,879 as of October 29, 2024.

This shows that things are moving forward, even if the numbers aren’t as large as we’d all like. Brave is still rolling this out on an invite-only basis, so you can join the waitlist to get an invite via this link: BlockSurvey (waitlist signup) is no longer active as of June 2025.

Although it’s taking some time, there is clear progress. While there’s no set ETA for on-chain availability for everyone, the team is pushing as much as they can.

[Saoiray]

Update: November 19, 2024

Was told today that anyone who joined the waitlist prior to November 15, 2024 have officially been whitelisted. So anyone who had gone to it should have invites and been able to connect to your Solana wallet.

Those who still want on-chain should join in via the invite link above and make sure you provide all accurate information. They definitely are pushing it through for everyone as best they can.

[Saoiray]

Update: November 25, 2024

The next thing I want to talk about is one of the more recent changes noticed in Rewards that has gone widely unannounced. Brave is focusing only on revshare for Brave Ads (Rewards). To clarify that this means, we will earn BAT only for ads that Brave is paid to show. So let’s say we see one ad for Brave Wallet and another ad for Cloaked. We will only be paid for the Cloaked ad and WILL NOT be paid for the Brave Wallet ad.

Since launching, Brave has long been tapping into the User Growth Pool (UGP) to have things like referral programs or to pay us for viewing ads for Brave products. Until now, if we saw an ad about Brave Talk or Brave Wallet, we would get paid a little bit of BAT from Brave just to incentivize us. However, this will no longer be the case. We will only get paid IF Brave is also earning something.

You can see this spoken about a bit officially at First to know: Some upcoming changes in Rewards 3.0

Other things changing soon:

• No more estimated earnings: They said something new will take its place. No idea what, except they said “more dynamic ways to earn rewards.”
• Auto Contribute is going away: This is something many have asked. They will still have options to subscribe to Creators to pay monthly and all, but haven’t said much on it.

[Saoiray]

Update: November 27, 2024

1. Brave is still pushing on-chain as primary goal. It may eventually launch completely, but for now they are liking the idea of filtering through by having people join the waitlist. If you want on-chain payouts instead of something like Uphold, make sure you follow the instructions as per PSA: Current and upcoming changes to Rewards and Creators - #8 by Saoiray

2. The new BAT Roadmap is out. You can check it out at https://brave.com/blog/bat-roadmap-3-0/. They are promising lots of good changes, including new ways to earn a lot more BAT.

Rewards 3.0 will arrive next year. No promises on timeframe but I think they are hoping for the first few months.

[Saoiray]

Update: December 4, 2024

The new change regarding estimated earnings is in effect, having arrived to the normal version of Brave with today’s update. This means if you check anywhere, you will no longer see any estimate for how much BAT you have earned. The only thing we will see is how many ads we have seen. This is intended as shared in the roadmap and other posts above.

This means while opted in we’ll see ads and then payments will occur, but we’ll have no idea of knowing how much to expect to get or anything. I do believe they said is a new change coming that will give us a bit more control, including on getting bonuses. But we have no information on that.

For now, just be aware there’s no estimates or tracking of earnings.

Example of what it looks like now:

[Saoiray]

Minor Update for Clarification

I’ve noticed some confusion about self-custody (on-chain) Rewards, so here’s a quick summary with key points to clarify:

• Invitation-Only for Self-Custody:
  Brave has moved to an invitation-only system for self-custody (on-chain) Rewards. You can apply for an invitation by joining the waitlist.

• No Specified Timeframes:
  Brave has not provided a clear timeline for when invitations will be sent out. While they were initially processing them frequently, this paused during the holidays. It’s unclear when the next batch will be released.

• Discord Communication:
  Brave may reach out via Discord for additional information, which is why your Discord ID is required when you apply for the waitlist.

• Notification of Invitations:
  If you’re invited, you’ll see a notification on your Rewards icon. If I remember correctly, it shows a red dot in the same place where you see the blue circle and checkmark in my icon here:

• Eligibility Requirements:
  To receive an invitation for self-custody:

  • You must not be connected to Uphold or any other custodial account.
  • Rewards must be enabled in your browser.

• Future Updates for Custodial Accounts:
  Brave has announced plans to allow users connected to custodial accounts to switch to self-custody sometime in 2025. However, no further details are available yet. I believe this will still require an invitation.

• Connecting to Solana:
  Once you receive an invitation, you’ll be able to connect to Solana and link any wallet of your choice. It doesn’t have to be the Brave Wallet. However, the wallet must have an extension, as you’ll need to sign the connection rather than just inputting an address.

Why Invitation-Only?

1. Cost Management:
   Setting up wallets costs Brave money. By using an invitation system, they can prioritize users who are likely to be active, reducing the risk of wasting resources on inactive accounts. If the system were entirely open, it could lead to significant expenses from users signing up but not participating.
2. Preventing Rewards Abuse:

• With custodial accounts, Brave can block fraudulent users more easily because these accounts require KYC/AML verification and are limited in the amount of accounts you can possess.
• In contrast, self-custody makes it easy to reset Rewards, create new profiles, or generate numerous crypto wallets, making it difficult to block users engaging in fraud or other exploitative behaviors permanently.
• Adding extra steps and requiring invitations helps deter or slow down such abuse.

3. Managing Growth Responsibly:
   The Solana integration is still in its early stages and isn’t fully optimized. By controlling the rate of new users through invitations, Brave can:

   • Avoid overloading the system, which could lead to congestion or delays.
   • Ensure that payment systems remain stable and that users receive Rewards in a timely manner.

Reminder:

To sign up for self custody, you will need to join the waitlist by applying at BlockSurvey (waitlist signup) is no longer active. as of June 2025)

Again, you’ll need a Discord account and the Rewards profile you are requesting the invites for can’t be connected to a custodial account.

[Saoiray]

January 7, 2025:

During Community Call was mentioned anyone who has applied for the waitlist would have been whitelisted. In other words, you should have the invite. If not, it may be because you missed some information in the form.

Zooming in on some of the key parts from that larger one:

[Saoiray]

Update: January 28: 2025

During the recent Community Call, it was mentioned that one of their key goals is to phase out (get rid of) notification ads. Instead, the focus will shift to engaging with the Offer Wall, which will be integrated into our Rewards menus.

The Offer Wall will feature various tasks and opportunities, though details are still scarce. What we do know is that it will serve as a central hub where users will have more control and an easier way to earn BAT.

This transition will happen gradually. When the Offer Wall is introduced, the current Rewards system will still be in place alongside it. However, some ads will likely be used to direct users to the Offer Wall, eventually replacing notification ads altogether.

Sponsored Images are expected to remain, and it’s possible that inline content will continue to appear in Brave News and Brave Search—but we’ll have to wait and see.

Just wanted to share this update since it was discussed in the Community Call this week. This change is likely still a long way off, but we’ll see how things unfold and if any plans shift along the way.

[Saoiray]

Update: February 4, 2025

Invites still going out on a regular basis. They announced today that another 40,000 invites were sent out.

[Saoiray]

Update #2 February 4, 2025

New Rewards UI is definitely on its way. It is currently available on Beta and Nightly. The Offer Wall is still a work in progress, but the UI has some pretty big changes. This is just the beginning and we’ll have to see how the rest of things work.

A sneak peek using a new profile on Nightly from my Windows PC is in screenshots below:

Rewards icon on toolbar (the flyout)

Home Tab(did 2 screenshots because couldn’t capture whole in one)

Explore Tab

Brave://rewards page

Home

Explore

[Saoiray]

Update: February 6, 2025

The new UI arrived in Release today. They are doing gradual rollouts, only targeting like 25% of people in today’s update. If you want to force it yourself, you can go to brave://flags and enable Show the new Rewards UI.

There definitely seems to be some work needing done, but it’s a good start. Next thing I’m aware of will be the Offer Wall, which I’m hoping is going to be decent. No idea on a timeline for when we’ll see that.

[Saoiray]

Update: February 20, 2025:

They reportedly sent out another 100,000 invites to people for on-chain payments.