Aurora, an EVM on the NEAR Protocol, is now integrated in Brave Wallet

Today we’re releasing an update for our desktop browser (v1.42), which includes two exciting additions that give Brave Wallet users more choice with crypto transactions:

• Aurora, an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) built on the NEAR protocol, is now available as a preloaded blockchain for all Brave Wallet users, enabling access to fast, low-fee transactions

• Desktop Wallet users can now purchase the Basic Attention Token (BAT) on Solana and Polygon, via the Ramp network

Aurora EVM now available as a preloaded blockchain 

First announced at Coindesk Consensus, Brave is offering more choice to Brave Wallet users with the addition of a new pre-loaded chain: Aurora, an Ethereum L2 that taps into the scalability of the NEAR protocol. Aurora provides up to 1000x lower gas fees, and up to 50x faster transactions than Ethereum.

As an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), Aurora offers a familiar user experience and compatibility with dozens of ERC-20 assets. It also brings higher throughput at near zero-cost transactions, allowing users to take full advantage of new, more sophisticated decentralized apps (DApps). This means more accessible DeFi and NFTs, and better DApp discovery for Brave Wallet users.

Users can easily bridge to Aurora via the Rainbow Bridge, which currently offers the ability to transfer tokens to / from NEAR, Aurora, and Ethereum. Once assets have been transferred to Aurora, users will find popular decentralized protocols and DApps that have been deployed on the network—such as Curve, DODO, Gnosis Safe, and Beefy Finance—and new native products like Bastion and Trisolaris. Together, these protocols have amassed $258M in total value locked (TVL) in smart contracts on Aurora.

As the Aurora ecosystem evolves, Brave’s native token (BAT) will also become available for use in DeFi via integrations in decentralized exchanges, lending markets, and more. We also have plans to bring Aurora network token swaps and streamlined bridging to Brave Wallet. Stay tuned!

Buy BAT on Solana and Polygon, via Ramp

In today’s desktop release, we’re also adding more ways for Brave Wallet users to buy the Basic Attention Token (BAT), via our partnership with Ramp. Wallet users can now buy wrapped BAT on Solana and Polygon using the fiat-to-crypto feature, powered by Ramp.

By expanding the number of chains that support BAT, we’re continuing to grow the scope of the attention economy beyond the native use case of Brave Rewards. With each new partnership, BAT becomes easier and more flexible in DeFi and crypto marketplaces.

Ramp’s mission is to make Web3 accessible for all by offering fiat-to-crypto buying solutions in 140 countries and for more than 45 assets. Together, Brave and Ramp are making the process of buying crypto easier than ever, with affordable options and a streamlined user experience.

Follow our Wallet Partner announcements

Brave will announce new partnerships and integrations—and introduce new utility for both Wallet and BAT—almost every month. Stay tuned for more updates.

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