The Steem Foundation

The Steem Foundation was formed a year ago to work towards growing and strengthening the Steem chain through building the community and awareness of the Steem platform in the wider world community.

In the current environment, it appears clear our work must be accelerated to evolve into a point of contact and advocacy for the Steem platform and community. Our role has been planned to work hand in hand with the community and dapps on the platform to implement this growth.

Funding promises made by the former proprietor of Steemit Inc didn’t come to pass. As a result, the Steem Foundation has operated as a group of volunteers without funding.

We are skeptical but hopeful that a relationship with Justin Sun of Tron will become positive and he will carry through on his desire to invest in Steem and in particular to financially assist the work of the Steem Foundation. Of course, this is only acceptable if done in accordance with acceptable charitable giving standards. This support would assist in building a trust relationship with the wider Steem community.

Our governing goal on an ongoing basis will be to strive toward providing the Steem community with the support that Steemit has always promised to do and failed to deliver.

Marketing and Onboarding

The Foundation has been working on forming a marketing plan starting with an improved onboarding process and the development of a website speaking to the different groups of interest for the Steem chain like content creators, consumers, developers, businesses and investors.

We plan to continue this work and invite partnerships to accomplish it.

The Foundation will work to facilitate and support good relationships with exchanges.

Building the Steem Community Through Greater Understanding

Out of adversity can come growth and greater awareness. This current situation has created considerable opportunities for both.

The Foundation would like to provide space and a forum for a committee comprised of consensus witnesses, larger stakeholders and representatives of the non-English language communities who often feel unheard.

A translation bot would be deployed to facilitate discussions between the members of the committee. This will lower barriers to those who would like to participate.

This committee would be encouraged to discuss and reach understanding on how issues on the blockchain impact them and the challenges faced in implementing suggested solutions. It’s through mutual communication and willingness to listen that we will build a strong and sustainable Steem we all love.

Some of the immediate concerns to be collaboratively discussed include:

• Security of the blockchain against a hostile takeover. To learn from the lessons of the recent events to explore ideas to strengthen chain governance to mitigate the weaknesses of DPOS while upholding the strengths and benefits of DPOS.

• Maintaining mutual respect between communities of all creeds, backgrounds, and languages to drive understanding.

• The power down period to find a working balance between investor needs to access their funds in a timely manner and the security of the chain.

• How to move forward with SMTs as they were envisioned in light of the loss of the lead developers at Steemit Inc.

• How to continue the development of the recently deployed communities also in light of the loss of the lead developers at Steemit Inc.

• To explore and consider the feasibility of paid subscription models on the blockchain.

With enough interest and participation, the Foundation would like to see possible working groups on the identified concerns working together to bring back recommendations to the main committee and then communicated to the wider community for consideration.

It is in working together in a spirit of cooperation and common goals that the Steem platform we all so passionately love will grow into the decentralized powerhouse it deserves to be.

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