What’s Really Happening on Steem?

Lately, something has been noticeably missing from the Steem platform—genuine interaction. Many posts now receive little to no comments, and engagement from fellow users seems to be steadily declining.

It feels like we may have strayed off course. Increasingly, users are treating Steem more as a mining operation than a social blockchain. Many post daily, not to connect or contribute meaningfully, but simply to extract rewards. Often, the content that receives high payouts lacks real effort or value. It's more about maximizing earnings from the reward pool than contributing quality content.

We see the same trend with competitions: even when prizes are generous, participation has dropped dramatically. What used to spark creativity and community engagement is now often met with silence.

Local communities on Steem tend to appear and disappear frequently. That’s understandable to some extent, but in several cases, it seems once some initial profit has been made, the enthusiasm fades—and those running the community simply disappear without a trace.

It's not wrong to want to earn from your posts—after all, that’s part of what makes Steem appealing. But when quality posts go unrewarded, or not rewarded enough, talented writers become discouraged. They lose interest, stop contributing, and eventually leave the platform. This is a serious loss for all of us.

New members continue to join Steem, which is great. However, very few invest by purchasing Steem from exchanges. Most simply earn and immediately cash out their rewards. They don't build Steem Power, and as a result, they don't contribute to strengthening the ecosystem.

Right now, there's only one major investor who entered the Steem ecosystem a few years ago and has since made a massive impact. Without his continued support, it's likely the price of Steem would be significantly lower—or possibly even without any real value. Most of us know who he is, and I want to personally thank him for everything he’s done for Steem. Of course, there are other investors who have been here for years, and their support matters too.

But here's the bottom line: if people continue to sell their earned Steem without ever investing or building up their Steem Power, the price of Steem is unlikely to rise.

There are real buyers on exchanges who are supporting the value of Steem. If the price continues to fall, they may lose interest and move on to more profitable cryptocurrencies. Then what?

Many complain about the low price of Steem. But take a moment to ask yourself—are you contributing to that problem?

Without a strong base of Steem Power, this ecosystem cannot thrive. If those with large SP decide to power down, leave, and sell their Steem, the consequences could be devastating for the platform. The price could collapse.

So this is a call to action:

Dear Steemians—build your Steem Power. Invest in the platform, support the ecosystem, and help secure a sustainable and vibrant future for Steem. Let’s bring back the community spirit, the engagement, and the quality that once made Steem such a promising project.