Many talk about how we can each help Steem. There are a lot of ideas yet I feel we can boil this down to something simple.
Right now, the best way everyone can help out Steem is by becoming a whale.
No, not a Steem Whale although if you have the resources to pick up 500K STEEM, that certainly would be a step in the right direction.
Instead, what I am referring to is becoming a Whale in some of the different communities. This will go a long way to solidifying what is taking place on this ecosystem.
Presently, there is an onboarding problem, hence growth is slow. This is something that is being addressed on a few different fronts. That said, we most likely will not see major improvements until Hard Fork 23 when the Resource Credit Pool is introduce. A few other ideas are out there which might improve it in the meantime but, for the foreseeable future this is what it looks like we are dealing with.
What this means is that our number of users is fairly constant. As more communities introduce tribes, the battle is over the same people. I do not believe I am the only one who is being stretched with so many wonderful communities popping up. The bottom line is our time is limited. It really is the epitome of the attention economy.
Where are we, individually, going to focus our attention?
Since each of these communities usually has a token associated with it, that presents a different situation. Smaller communities could end up having their token crushed since they do not have the numbers. This is especially true if there is an airdrop and people go dumping the token.
Of course, every problem presents an opportunity. When prices are down or communities are lacking in people, it is a great time for one to really establish him or herself. This can be doe through purchase or activity (or a combination of the two). Amassing a large number of tokens in the early stages of a project can really set one up.
It also helps the community a great deal.
Distribution of power is something that most all of us are seeking. Having the layer two solutions, along with the pending release of SMTs, is going to allow the wealth on the ecosystem to be spread out. We can already see this to a degree with what is taking place now. Some are seeing their accounts grow with Steem-Engine tokens. While the value might still be low, the fact that tokens are being amassed is putting people in a nice position.
Once the distribution problem is solved, or at least alleviated, communities will have the opportunity to grow at a faster pace. This is where the newly formed Whales come in.
Most everyone on here knows what it is like to be a content creator hoping a large account swings by a places an upvote. For those of us who had it happen a time or two, it is a great feeling. This is the power you could potentially possess if you become a Whale.
Imagine being able to give someone an upvote that is worth the equivalent of 20 STEEM. Few of us can do it at the base layer since only a handful of accounts have that type of Steem Power. There will be many more who can do it with the tribe tokens.
Naturally, we are dealing with currency pairing here so it gets a bit tricky. That said, some of the tribes could see their tokens appreciate considerably against STEEM as they experience growth. This is where being a Whale enters the picture.
There is a lot of talk about changing behavior on here. Much of the last hard fork was focused upon that. Those who are here working each day to grow their accounts can be the new leaders for the next phase of Steem expansion.
Having the voting power in a community's token gives one the ability to make a major impact on the direction of that community. Hence, someone who is a small Minnow in SP might be a major player in one of the tribes. Thus, going from small fish to big one helps with the behavior. Suddenly, you have the power to radically change a newcomers day with a large upvote.
We see a lot of talk about curation of late. This applies to layer two solutions equally as it does to the base layer. Some of the communities are already seeing value in their tokens. By upvoting content on those platforms, one is able to earn curation rewards. This helps to grow his or her account obviously. More importantly though, it helps to grow smaller accounts that are being voted upon.
Communities make it easier to find new people. Those who are regularly posting in a particular group should get found. This is where I feel the real value is coming from.
Steem is now providing the opportunity to push the power of stake further out. Through the communities, we are seeing individuals amassing more power than they would in just STEEM. This will help with the main point of all this, freedom.
However, to truly succeed, we need Whales who are taking the lead. It is always those with the most stake who are guiding the ship. Each community is establishing who the larger accounts are. Ultimately, these are tomorrow's leaders.
We all know markets ebb and flow. However, we did witness the wealth generation that Ethereum provided with all the projects that tokenized on there. Sure, many went down the tubes but look at the handful that are on that platform which are in the top 50 on coinmarketcap.
The difference is that we are starting to see people use some of the communities that are created on here. We also have different teams behind each of these projects who are working diligently to push things forward. Almost daily, I see another tribe with an announcement of some sort which is meant to expand what is taking place. With over 400 tokens, some of then will succeed.
For a long time, many complained about the Whales and their behavior. Perhaps there was a lot of validity to those accusations. Regardless of that, the potential exists to right things. A new breed can step up at a different level to provide stability to the ecosystem. Not only does staking help that individual token, it also can apply to things such as user retention.
The biggest thing people need is hope. I would say most everyone comes to Steem hoping to succeed. Obviously, the definition of success is going to vary but the point remains. The ones who are here looking for a free ride can easily be dismissed. However, when we find people who are committed to adding value to Steem, it is nice to be able to reward them.
Unfortunately, most did not have the stake to do this.
That is the past. We can now offer many people hope by giving them a nice layer two upvote. What one is lacking in STEEM could be made up, somewhat, with LEO. Or PAL. Or STEM.
Newer people want to see their accounts grow like anyone else. Those of us who are here a while look at STEEM first and the other tokens secondary. They are an added bonus if you will.
In my opinion, this will not be the case going forward. Newer people are going to be amassing the other tokens at a greater clip meaning this will be their focus. The downloading of their SP earned will be an added bonus in their mind.
For this to happen, we need those tokens in stronger hands. When individuals set a goal of becoming Whales in particular communities, it can only enhance the entire ecosystem. A newer person who is actively trying to earn LEO, as an example, is just as valuable as one who is focusing upon STEEM.
I would say the overall sentiment over the past year or two is that Steem had a leadership void. This is the opportunity to amend that. Sure, the base layer will remain the same but that does not mean influence is not felt.
We do not know what the future will bring. The move to become one of the larger holders of a particular SE token might actually give one enormous influence down the road. Having a large stake in an application that takes off and becomes mainstream gives one the ability to influence thousands.
The potential exists for a new generation to step up. Most of us were not here the first year, hence missed out on the opportunity to be the earliest of adopters. The same is not true for what is taking place now.
Our efforts today can put us in a position for the next wave of people. However, to make an impact, we need to stake what we earn. This is vital.
In my view, this is a way that each person on here can help Steem starting immediately.
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