Building a Privacy-First Browser with a Built-in Crypto Wallet
We took the Brave browser source code, fully rebranded it, stripped out all remaining telemetry, built in a custom MetaMask-style crypto wallet, designed a homepage with AI search — and shipped it on Windows and Android.
2
Platforms (Win + Android)
100%
Telemetry Removed
Full
Rebrand & Custom Identity
Built-in
Crypto Wallet
The Challenge
A Browser That Puts Privacy and Web3 First
The client wanted to launch their own browser brand — not a reskin, but a fully rebranded product. They chose Brave's open-source codebase as the foundation because it already had strong privacy features and Chromium compatibility baked in. Our job was to take that foundation, remove every trace of the Brave brand, strip out any remaining telemetry, and build new features on top.
They needed it on Windows and Android, with complete source code handoff so their team could maintain and extend it independently. Every trace of Brave had to be gone — logos, icons, installer text, internal strings, reward systems, telemetry endpoints — all of it replaced with the client's own brand identity.
Deep Rebrand of Brave Source
Every reference to Brave had to be replaced — not just visible UI, but internal strings, build configs, installer metadata, update URLs, reward system references, and embedded assets across both platforms.
Telemetry & Tracker Removal
Even though Brave is privacy-focused, it still has its own telemetry and analytics. All of that plus any remaining Google tracking from the Chromium layer had to be identified and stripped out.
Custom Crypto Wallet
A MetaMask-style wallet built directly into the browser — not Brave's existing wallet, but a fresh implementation integrated into the browser UI and styled to match the new brand.
Two Platforms, One Brand
Windows desktop installer and Android APK — both built from the modified Brave source, both fully branded, both shipping with the same feature set and visual identity.
Core Pillars
Three Things That Define This Browser
Privacy by Default
No telemetry, no trackers, no phone-home behavior — not from Google, not from Brave, not from anyone. Built-in ad blocking and tracking prevention come standard.
Web3 Native
A custom-built crypto wallet that supports Ethereum and EVM-compatible chains. Send, receive, and manage tokens without installing a single extension.
AI Search Built In
The custom homepage features a search bar with a toggle between regular search and AI-powered results — powered by the client's own search backend.
Technical Architecture
How It's Built
The browser is built on the Brave source code — itself a fork of Chromium — with deep modifications at the source level. We removed Brave's own branding, reward system, and telemetry, then layered on the client's custom features: the crypto wallet, custom homepage, and AI search integration.
Browser Stack
Fully rebranded UI — all Brave logos, icons, installer screens, about pages, and settings replaced with the client's brand identity across Windows and Android.
↕
Custom new tab page with search bar (regular/AI toggle), weather widget, news feed, quick links — all styled to the new browser brand.
↕
Custom MetaMask-style crypto wallet — seed phrase generation, token management, send/receive, multi-chain support. Replaces Brave's native wallet with a fresh build.
↕
All Brave telemetry and reward system removed. All Google tracking from the Chromium layer stripped. Built-in ad blocker retained and enhanced. Zero phone-home behavior.
↕
Brave source code (Chromium-based) — full web compatibility, extension support, standard browser features. Performance optimizations applied where possible.
Scope of Work
What We Delivered
- Complete rebrand of the Brave browser source code — replaced all Brave logos, icons, splash screens, installer strings, internal about pages, reward system references, and build metadata
- Identified and removed all Brave-specific telemetry, Google tracking services, analytics hooks, and phone-home behavior from the source
- Removed Brave's native reward system and BAT token integration — replaced with the client's own crypto wallet implementation
- Built a custom MetaMask-style crypto wallet directly into the browser — seed phrase creation/recovery, ETH and EVM token support, send/receive, transaction history
- Styled the wallet UI to match the browser's new brand identity — consistent colors, typography, and interaction patterns
- Designed and built a custom homepage/new tab page with a dual-mode search bar (regular search vs AI-powered search via the client's backend)
- Added homepage widgets — weather, news feed, quick links — all styled within the new brand system
- Retained and enhanced built-in ad blocking and tracking prevention as default-on features
- Applied performance optimizations to the Brave base where possible without introducing instability
- Produced release builds — Windows installer (.exe) and Android APK — both fully branded and tested
- Delivered complete modified source code with build documentation so the client's team can maintain and extend independently
Tech Stack
Tools & Technologies Used
Results
The Impact
A Fully Owned Browser Brand
The client launched their own browser product — built on Brave's proven foundation but with zero Brave branding remaining. A product with its own identity that they fully own and control.
Zero Tracking Out of the Box
Users get a browser that doesn't watch them. No Brave telemetry, no Google analytics, no trackers — privacy isn't a setting you turn on, it's the default.
Web3 Without Extensions
The custom-built wallet means users can interact with dApps, manage tokens, and send crypto without ever installing MetaMask or any other extension.
AI Search on Day One
The homepage's AI search toggle gives users instant access to AI-powered results alongside traditional search — a differentiator from day one.