Even though the updates to the blockchain might come slower then we like the blockchain itself is changing much faster than I could have anticipated.
The Steem blockchain (and in particular earning STEEM) is moving from content creators to entrepreneurs.
It's a huge change for some and difficult to accept but it's the best thing for the blockchain right now.
So, when I hear talk of changing the current economic system of linear rewards to something else (superlinear or n^2) I shake my head in disbelief.
Now is not the time.
You only have to look at how much has been build on top of the blockchain since the introduction of linear rewards to see how good it's been for the growth of the blockchain.
It has opened up a whole can of possibility for people that see opportunity and it's been a sight to behold and still is.
You can see it in all the development and projects that have exploded to a point that I can't keep up with it in my vlogs anymore.
Stopping this process of growth now to go back to a reward curve favouring content creators would be a mistake.
It's time to start thinking ahead instead of thinking in the now.
Entrepreneurs have build their current business model on linear rewards and are adding more value to this blockchain than any content creator could ever do.
Changing the economic model to 'try something new' because Bob's article about the democracy on Mars in a post-apocalyptic world - part 66 is not getting what it deserves makes no sense.
I would even state that currently the real value of the Steem blockchain is mostly created by the people that build applications on top of this blockchain and only a little bit by the people that create content.
Why?
Because, in my 2 years of being here I doubt there have been many pieces of content published that anyone could not have lived without. Including my own content.
Yet, many others and myself could not have missed a single day of all the beauty this blockchain has to offer in it's opportunity and apps.
And that's what this blockchain is:
It's the blockchain of opportunity and not the blockchain of content.
I couldn't see it before but now I can say that creating content was the equivalent of easy mining and the first opportunity on this blockchain that people took and capitalised upon.
Everyone that's here today can therefor consider themselves VERY LUCKY.
Everyone that earned STEEM with content creation since the inception of this blockchain has gone through the same period early Bitcoin miners went through when they just started their blockchain.
It was sooooo easy to earn crypto at the start! Almost no effort required and those coins came rolling in. (I know some users earned more than a 100,000 STEEM in less than 6 months with articles, that's how easy it was).
And talking about opportunity. There was a girl that earned $30,000 with a makeup tutorial. She saw an opportunity and took it. It had nothing to do with content because you can find makeup tutorial all over the internet.
Now, it has become impossible to mine easy Bitcoin. (you need a mining farm and a laptop won't cut it.)
And nobody seems to complain that this is somehow unfair.
Yet on the Steem blockchain it's a different story.
The easiest way to earn STEEM no longer works the way it used to (content creation) or call it easy mining.
A lot more is required now and that's sadly not always well received.
But I don't agree with anyone that says that is bad.
Hence therefor another term you find on this blockchain.
"Proof of Brain"
When the easiest way no longer works you have to adept your strategy. And on the steem blockchain right now you have to come up with something else besides creating content if you want to earn STEEM efficiently.
And that's an environment perfect for entrepreneurs!
The new project STEEM MONSTERS one of them and a real eye opener for me.
It's the first project that does not require a huge investment or delegation to earn STEEM.
But it's even better than that, it's also a project that will make people want to buy STEEM with other crypto or fiat just to get their hands on these Monsters.
That's Invaluable!
Anyone could have come up with this idea but they are the first.
For me it's "proof of brain" in it's purest form and they deserve everything they earn.
Now is this is end of content creation on the Steem blockchain?
Of course it's not.
But for earning STEEM it will slowly be.
This will get tougher and tougher as a content creator, it's a normal part of blockchain when the difficulty increases, accept it.
But it doesn't mean that the future for content creators is bad, it's actually very bright.
Because the solution is already been thought of in the form of SMT's.
SMT's are what will drive and reward content creation in the future.
SMT's will be used by the entrepreneurs that are building the tools today that you can use to create content on top of the blockchain.
This is another reason to favour entrepreneurs over content creators at this moment in time.
Right now we are just in a period of change.
When you think about this blockchain 3 years from now. Almost none will remember this period.
New content creators will earn SMT's on platforms like dlive, dtube, Steepshot and Appics and will not know any better.
They will trade those SMT's for STEEM and sell it to fiat or something else.
Or maybe they will buy something with their STEEM/SMT's instead.
Right now only you know better. You that is on this blockchain today.
Every STEEM you can still earn right now with content creation will be even more precious in the future.
That's what I believe at least.
I would urge anyone to leave the current economic system alone and let it run it's natural course until SMT's are released and respect development on this blockchain as much as you can.
And now I'm off to buy some Steem Monsters cards! Damn these entrepreneurs!
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