In-browser mining has gotten a very bad reputation over the past few months. This is primarily because so many websites use this model for nefarious purposes rather than legitimate uses. The Pirate Bay has previously experimented with in-browser cryptocurrency mining, and it seems the platform will maintain that business practice.
The Pirate Bay Still Mines Monero
Given all of the media headlines involving cryptojacking, one would expect in-browser cryptocurrency mining to have disappeared altogether. That is usually not how things work in this particular industry, as the concept of in-browser cryptocurrency mining could still disrupt the traditional advertising model. When internet users can choose between banner or video ads and cryptocurrency mining, the latter will always be the more popular option.
The Pirate Bay was one of the very first websites to embrace this blockchain model as an experiment in getting rid of traditional website advertisements. Although that initial trial only lasted for two days, it seems the website’s owners were quite pleased with how things went. In fact, it appears the website is now back at in-browser Monero mining, as it has clearly informed visitors of the change.
Although it remains to be seen how much money The Pirate Bay will earn from this venture, it is a positive change compared to traditional advertisements. Advertisement-related tabs opening in one’s browser have been problematic for some time now. Donating some CPU cycles to mine Monero on behalf of the website’s owners seems like a small price to pay for the services offered.
There is still a way for users to switch back to traditional ads if they wish to do so. Anyone using an ad blocker will not be able to mine in their browser, although that doesn’t mean they won’t see any advertisements when visiting this website. Even AdBlock is not necessarily capable of blocking everything related to advertisements, even in this day and age.
Although the use of websites such as The Pirate Bay will always be subject to debate, they are doing something which mainstream sites do not. Being upfront and honest about the Monero mining process taking place behind the scenes is an important first step toward maintaining healthy relations with site visitors. A degree of courtesy is more than appreciated, and The Pirate Bay is doing the right thing in this regard.
The bigger question is whether or not other platforms will use this business practice for legitimate purposes. Considering that this is a perfectly acceptable business model in the first place, there is no reason for website owners not to experiment with this option when the opportunity arises. Slowly but surely, traditional online advertising is being disrupted in many ways. That can only be considered a good thing.
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