Brave, the fast-growing privacy-first browser with over 86 million monthly users, is doubling down on its Web3 strategy through a deepening partnership with Unstoppable Domains. Earlier this month, Brave added native support for Unstoppable’s decentralized domain names like .crypto, unlocking access to 30,000+ decentralized websites without the need for extensions or DNS configuration. Now, Brave is going one step further: it’s getting its own onchain domain extension—.brave.

Launched in collaboration with Unstoppable Domains, .brave is a new top-level domain minted on Polygon. It allows users to claim a browser-native identity that works across blockchains, dApps, and decentralized platforms. Starting with Brave’s 1.81 Nightly build (expected August 25), users will be able to launch .brave websites, receive crypto payments via Brave Wallet using their .brave name, and create portable, verified profiles that work across hundreds of Web3 applications.

A Domain That Does More Than Resolve

Unlike traditional domains, .brave names do more than just point to a website. They serve as unified Web3 identities:

• Built-in payments: Send and receive crypto across multiple chains including Ethereum, Solana, Bitcoin, and Base

• Native site hosting: Launch decentralized websites with no reliance on centralized DNS infrastructure

• Onchain profiles: Create public Web3 identities with UD.me, supported across apps and metaverses

• Community tools: Use your domain for messaging, gated group chats, and access controls

All .brave domains are minted as NFTs—meaning users truly own their domain, with no renewal fees and full control over usage and transfer.

Why It Matters

This integration is about more than just convenience—it’s a major evolution in the user experience of Web3. Where early decentralized applications required technical know-how and clunky browser add-ons, Brave is now building core Web3 functionality directly into the browser. With native support for decentralized websites and now first-party identity through .brave, the browser itself becomes a secure, sovereign portal to the decentralized internet.

It’s also a notable shift in the role of browsers. Rather than passively displaying websites, Brave is asserting itself as a hub for identity, payments, and digital ownership.

As Brave CTO Brian Bondy noted, “We see Web3 as a stepping stone to the future of digital ownership and decentralization.” The .brave domain strategy makes that vision tangible.

The Big Picture

Together, Brave and Unstoppable Domains are lowering the barrier to Web3. No extensions, no jargon—just readable, usable, ownable identities built into the web. If the future of the internet is decentralized, .brave may well be its new gateway.