Basic Attention Token (BAT): tokenomics, risks and score
The token inside the Brave browser, used to pay users for viewing privacy respecting advertisements and to tip creators.
What Basic Attention Token is, and what it does
This is an NFT or culture asset. It is tied to a collection, marketplace or creator platform rather than to a protocol that earns fees.
What the BAT token itself does: It captures no protocol revenue. Any value rests on governance rights, on speculation, or on a change that has not happened yet.
Where it runs: Ethereum. Mechanism: ERC-20 advertising token. It has been running since 2017, so roughly 9 years.
The facts
- TICKER
- BAT
- SECTOR
- NFT and culture
- CHAIN
- Ethereum
- LAUNCHED
- 2017, so around 9 years of operating history
- MECHANISM
- ERC-20 advertising token
- MAXIMUM SUPPLY
- 1.5 billion
- VALUE CAPTURE
- None
- UPGRADE CONTROL
- Team controlled
- VESTING
- Complete
- LIQUIDITY BAND
- Micro cap. Thin, often a single venue or pool. Treat the quoted price as indicative only.
How the score breaks down
Each dimension is explained on the directory page, and the reasoning behind it is taught in the Academy research process.
Supply and value capture
A hard maximum supply that cannot be raised without the agreement of essentially every participant. The token captures no protocol revenue. Any value rests on governance rights, speculation, or future changes that have not happened yet.
The founding team retains control over upgrades or parameters. Ownership is moderately concentrated. A handful of large holders could move the market.
Where it is strong and where it is not
- Has operated for around 9 years and through at least one full bear market
- Supply is capped, so holders are not diluted indefinitely
- Audited, with published reports
- Fully open source, so the code can be independently reviewed
- The token captures no protocol revenue, so its value rests on sentiment
- Upgrade control sits with a small group, so the rules can change
- Thin liquidity. Check order book depth before assuming you can exit
Incident history
No major exploit, collapse or regulatory action on record against this asset.
Our read
The main risk
The token captures none of the browser's revenue, and its role in the product has been reduced over time.
Before you buy anything
Check the contract address against the project's own documentation rather than a search result or a screener link, since impersonation tokens with identical names and logos are listed constantly. Check the order book depth before assuming you can exit at the quoted price. And write down what would make you wrong before you buy, not after. The Academy thesis module covers why that single habit protects more capital than any indicator.