PSA: Current and upcoming changes to Rewards and Creators

Brave Rewards
14

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: image

  • 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 early 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.

  1. 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 https://blocksurvey.io/self-custody-brave-rewards-bat-payouts-via-solana--tA7YPZI6SgebicWYpiP.BA?v=o

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.

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