Brave (BAT) Browser Debuts Native IFPS Support
- by Nick Cohen
- in Industry
- — Jan 21, 2021
Crypto-friendly browser platform Brave (BAT) has taken a significant step in the development of the decentralized web by becoming the first browser to roll-out native support for InterPlanetary File System (IPFS).
The foremost roll out of in-house support for IPFS offers fundamental node functionality, and courageous intends to unveil additional IPFS deployments this year, including the addition of IPFS assistance to Android browser of fearless. Meanwhile, you can also install your own IPFS node to join the larger IPFS network. With internet censorship a major concern among a cross-section of stakeholders, the pivot to a more decentralized world-wide-web might hold the key to the preservation of free speech on the internet.
Incorporated into today's fearless desktop browser update (version 1.19), Brave's 24 million monthly active users can now access content directly from IPFS by resolving ipfs:// URIs via a gateway or installing a full IPFS node in one click. Integrating IPFS provides courageous users with a significantly enhanced browsing experience, increasing the availability of content, offloading server costs from the content publisher, and improving the overall resilience of the Internet. Instead of information hosted on centralized servers, IPFS connects users to websites cached on nearby nodes. The IPFS protocol - as opposed to HTTP or HTTPS - allows users to access decentralised or censored content on the web.
It's still early days for the decentralised web, and there's limited content now available, but in a blog post Brian Bondy, CTO and co-founder of fearless, described the move "a milestone".
Brian Bondy, CTO and Co-Founder of fearless, said, "We're thrilled to be the first browser to offer a native IPFS integration with today's courageous desktop browser release".
"Today, Web users across the world are unable to access restricted content, including, for example, parts of Wikipedia in Thailand, over 100,000 blocked websites in Turkey, and critical access to COVID-19 information in China".
Brave, a modern web browser that touts a private and secure browsing experience, just added support for InterPlanetary File System (or IPFS) which is a decentralised networking protocol created to improve the current structure of the internet today. At the moment, with the launch of version 1.19 of the Brave Browser, it's 24 million monthly active users will be able to directly access IPFS content by resolving URIs that start with 'IPFS://'.
"Now anyone with an internet connection can access this critical information through IPFS on the courageous browser".
