I've been using this account @irivers as a dedicated curator for STEM Geeks.
The reason I like curating STEM is because it involves posts dealing directly with Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (with a little programming added in for good luck). These are subjects that I enjoy.
My goal for the year was to increase the account to 5,000 STEM. I am delighted to announce that I passed this goal. I might increase my goal to 10K
The STEM Geeks Richlist shows the account is near the top of page 2 when one sorts by Staked STEM.
Hive Engine shows that I have 5232 STEM and that these coins are worth $2.66 .
Unfortunately, the Tribal Coins on HIVE Engine suffer from a serious lack of volume. Because of the lack of volume, there is often a huge gap between the BID and ASK price
Because few people actively trade their coins, it is not uncommon for a single transaction to wipe out 90% of the value of a coin.
Anyway, I captured this image from HIVE Engine.
Well at first glance it looks like STEM is in good health. It looks like the BID price is just under the ASK. I see the numbers 1315 and 1359. That's not a bad gap.
Some coins seem to suffer from more dramatic gaps between the BID and ASK.
Earlier this week, a single transaction wiped out 90% of the value of WAIV.
HE has a serious problem with liquidity.
The Solution Is Active Trading
Many users see swaps as the solution. Personally, I think the solution is for HE users to actively trade their coins.
I've noticed a large number of users have liquid coins in their accounts.
I think people need to go through their accounts. One should stake the coins for the tribes that they are actively using. One should then place sell orders between the BID and ASK price.
This simple act of placing open transactions on the platform provides liquidity.
People who are fortunate to make sales should then place BUY orders with the SWAP.HIVE they receive.
The simple act of placing orders on platform helps the tribal coins find their base price and injects liquidity into the system.
The Bid Bots are Annoying
HE suffers from a number of bid bots.
It is frustrating: You place buy or sell order. A half minute later, the bit bot drops a 0.000001 under your bid.
One can do two things to thwart the bid bots. The first is to trick the bid bots with fake orders.
If you want to sell a coin; place a buy order for a tiny amount. The bidbot will often outbid your order. You can then sell to the bid bot for a slightly higher price.
You can only get away with that trick a couple of times.
The second trick is to layer in a series of orders between the BID and ASK price.
I hate the bid bots. They make HE an unpleasant trading platform.
Bottom Feeding
Since HE has a liquidity problem, it is also possible to get some coins on the cheap by placing orders well below the BID price. Some times people dump their coins without checking the price.
Conclusion
This whole thing is a game. Actively trading the coins should be part of the game.
Users of HE can help solve the liquidity problem simply by placing active orders. I think the easiest way to do this is by placing sell orders for one's liquid coins at a price between the BID and ASK price. One can place active buy orders at or below the BID price.
One should periodically look at the open orders page. I find it worthwhile to periodically cancel all open orders and place fresh bids.
IMHO The tokenomics for HE coins is better this year than last year. The tribal coins need to find their bottom.
It is possible that 0.0135 is way to high of a price for STEM. I'm hopin' that 0.00132 is too low.
Time will tell. There is a chance that all HE coins will turn into empty bags.