It's funny how any involvement with cryptocurrencies is now an immediate red flag. Is there any use for cryptocurrencies in 2020 that isn't either an outright scam or a pump-and-dump scheme?
I don't think Brave's attempts to integrate BAT are either a scam or a pump-and-dump. I think they're sincerely just trying to figure out how to move "the internet" to a revenue model that doesn't necessitate holding its users hostage.
Every decentralized or censorship-resistant network gets dragged down to the worst of its adopters in the public consciousness (not entirely by accident IMO). It's sad, but should be acknowledged as par for the course at this point. If you're not going to fall into line, expect the power brokers to mix you up with the worst of 'em.