If you want to receive your earnings from Brave Rewards via Solana, you’ll need to connect a Solana address that has an Associated Token Account (ATA) for Basic Attention Token (BAT). This might sound technical, but don’t worry! In this article, we’ll break down what an ATA is and why you need one to receive your BAT.

What Is an Associated Token Account (ATA)?

An Associated Token Account (ATA) is a special type of account on Solana that is created to hold a specific token (like BAT) for a specific Solana address (your wallet). Think of your Solana address as a "master account" or your main wallet. An ATA is like a sub-account tied to your master account, created specifically to store a particular token.

Why Do You Need an ATA for Brave Rewards?

When Brave sends your BAT rewards to your Solana address, it doesn’t send them directly to your main wallet address. Instead, it sends them to the ATA associated with your address for the BAT token on Solana. Specifically, your BAT earnings are sent directly on-chain to your Solana address in Wormhole-bridged SPL-BAT (This is BAT that was bridged over from the Ethereum network onto Solana via the Wormhole bridge.)

If you don’t have an ATA for BAT, the transaction can’t be completed because there’s no designated place to store the tokens. Creating an ATA is like setting up a labeled inbox for a specific type of mail. Without it, the delivery (your BAT rewards) can’t be properly received and stored.

How do I create an ATA?

When connecting your Solana address to Brave Rewards, we check to see if you already have an ATA for BAT. If not, then you will be prompted to create one. It's really easy, and your favorite Solana wallet will guide you through the steps, just like any other transaction. Note that it will cost a small amount of SOL to open an ATA, so make sure you have some SOL at your address.

Note that if you have already interacted with Wormhole-bridged  SPL-BAT, then you probably already have an ATA. Just make sure you choose the right Solana address.

What happens if I do not have an ATA?

If you do not have an ATA for Wormhole-bridged SPL-BAT on Solana (for example, if your ATA is closed or has not been created), you will not be eligible to receive Brave Rewards payouts via Solana. Any payouts missed due to not having an ATA for BAT will be considered forfeited. You will not be entitled to recover these missed payouts, even if an ATA is created or re-established at a later time.