Basic Attention Token (BAT) is a cryptocurrency designed to improve the digital advertising ecosystem by rewarding users for their attention while providing advertisers with a more efficient return on their ad spend. BAT operates within the Brave browser, an open-source, privacy-focused browser that blocks ads and trackers by default. Users can opt-in to view privacy-preserving ads and, in return, receive BAT as compensation. This system aims to create a more balanced relationship between users, publishers, and advertisers.

Basic Attention Token was created by Brendan Eich and Brian Bondy. Brendan Eich, co-founder of Mozilla and creator of JavaScript, serves as the CEO of Brave Software. Brian Bondy, a seasoned software engineer with experience at Mozilla and Evernote, is the CTO. Their combined expertise in browser technology and software development was instrumental in developing BAT and integrating it into the Brave browser.