You Can Now Earn Bitcoin By Surfing the Web on Chrome, Brave, and More

By Andrew Hayward

Brave popularized the concept of giving users crypto rewards for using its web browser, and has seen surging user counts as a result. But now you can add similar functionality to an array of browsers—including Chrome and also Brave—and earn Bitcoin in the process.

Adtech startup Slice announced today that it has integrated Bitcoin payments into its browser extension, letting users earn cryptocurrency by viewing ads while surfing the web. Slice’s free extension works with Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and even Brave.

The newly-enhanced extension is based on technology from Bitcoin payments startup Zebedee, and utilizes Bitcoin’s Lightning Network for micropayments. As users browse the web, they’ll see additional advertisements inserted into pages. Viewing those ads earns users points called Slices, which can then be swapped for Bitcoin via a Zebedee account.

A look at Slice's browser extension UI. Image: Slice

"Today, people surfing the web are right to have high standards for receiving value in exchange for their attention, and to claim that value in the form of real money, delivered to them instantly," said Slice COO and co-founder Darina Oumanski in a release.

Brave users will be able to earn both Bitcoin rewards (via Slices) and Brave’s own Basic Attention Token (BAT) at the same time, a Zebedee representative confirmed to Decrypt, enabling a double dip of crypto rewards in exchange for seeing more ads while browsing.

Zebedee has previously focused its technology on games, and last year launched modified servers for the hit first-person shooter game "Counter-Strike: Global Offensive" (CS:GO) that let players wager and win small amounts of Bitcoin measured in satoshis, or “sats.” Each Bitcoin (BTC) is made up of 100 million satoshis.

The firm recently partnered with game developer Viker to expand the BTC-earning model into familiar games like Solitaire and Sudoku, plus a Wordle-like game called "Missing Letters," all of which reward players with free satoshis.

In July, Zebedee raised a $35 million Series B funding round that included participation by Square Enix, the well-known video game publisher behind smash hit series like "Final Fantasy" and "Kingdom Hearts." Square Enix has made a number of other moves in the NFT and Web3 space recently as it shifts its focus towards new technologies in gaming.

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