BAT Getting User Boost: Brave Selected as Default Browser for HTC's New Phone

Brave browser was announced as the default browser for HTC's new Exodus "Blockchain-powered" phone, opening Basic Attention Token to a new cohort of potential users.

Today, Brendan Eich the CEO of BAT and Brave, and the creator of the JavaScript programming language, announced that Brave would be adopted as the default browser for HTC's new Exodus 1 blockchain-powered phone.

Based on its specifications, the HTC Exodus 1 seems like an ordinary phone: 6-inch display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, and running Android 8.1.

What makes the phone stand-out is the suite of blockchain and cryptocurrency features built into the phone.

The phone is also geared to support BTC, LTC, ETH, and ERC-721 Ethereum crypto-collectibles through its Zion wallet integration.

Phil Chen, HTC's 'chief decentralization officer,' and the phone's designer, mentioned that the current iteration of the phone is the "High-end" version meant for beta testing the concept.

According to Chen, one of the purposes of the phone is to eventually "Target the 1-2 billion unbanked people in the world." Moreover, "Even the United Nations is interested in that."

Considering the track record of many other blockchain-related products, the first version of the phone may also feature a less-than-ideal user experience.

Depending on the number of Exodus line phones that are sold in retail, the integration could substantially increase the number of customers who come use the Brave browser.

According to one Taiwanese publication, HTC's sales in February dipped to a 13-year low, while underperforming against growing Chinese phone brands.