Heellooo @halo. and nice to Steem you! :-) Thanks for this audit, and for informing us!
Just as @tonygreene113 has mentioned, it's probable Ned is preparing to leave Steemit inc., the way others did before him (beginning with Dan, 2 years ago :-p). I wouldn't necessarily interpret this move as bad news for the STEEM blockchain as a whole - we know a whole ecosystem is built upon it, as the "thedarkolverlord"'s Steemit account ban, but Busy.org continued activity (here: https://busy.org/@thedarkoverlord) showcases.
On the other hand, it could be a sign of a new SMT's launch delay, or even the freeze of that long-awaited project.
RE: WHY IS @ned Powering Down All His SP and Sending It To Bittrex??????