Steemit... Then and Now

As I watched our Steem token close in on $0.07 USD earlier today, I couldn't help but recall my first few months here. I started out with a blend of skepticism and enthusiasm, only to almost immediately watch Steem hit a new all-time low slightly under seven cents.

I honestly didn't think I was going to see that again! But here we are, eight years later... and getting uncomfortably close to that point. I feel particularly sad for those who bought into this community when Steem was over $2.00.

The community has changed a lot since then. For one thing, it has become a lot more international And I think that's definitely a positive.

In that sense, I am very grateful for the general advancements in translation technologies that make it possible for creators to publish in their native language yet have their posts readily accessible to everyone.

On reflection, I have long since abandoned any expectations of Steemit as a source of income, which is not to say that I am not grateful for whatever earning results I get.

But I was always a writer and blogger first, and anything else was basically a bonus.

I write these words fresh from getting a notification that the last of the old school publishing sites — Hubpages — will be shuttering for good in early 2026, after 19 years. I wrote my first article there in December 2007... and have been getting periodic $50.00 (the minimum payout) royalty payments ever since... although they have been rare since around 2021.

The demise is a good reminder of what I typically do not like about most legacy publising venues: namely that now I have to retrieve all my work and store it somewhere, before it is lost forever... one of the benefits of a decentralized venue like Steemit is definitely that there is no "company" to suddenly close down operations.

Regardless, I can’t help but wonder about the degree to which web content actually has very little monetary value.

In a couple of months, I will have been part of this community for nine years... which surprises me (in a good way!) given that when I started here I had my doubts that Steemit would stay alive beyond another 12-18 months.

I'm glad to say I was wrong about that!

So here we are, kinda back where things started, with 7-cent Steem a looming reality, in the middle of what is becoming a crypto market "correction." Because it's not just Steem that's slumping, even mighty Bitcoin has lost 22% over the past month.

How long this setback will last is uncertain, of course... it's a little different, with so much of the world living with sketchy economics these days.

And on that light note, let's hope we can keep going for many more years.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great Friday!

How about YOU? Were you active on other writing sites before Steemit? Were you part of this community during the previous slump, in early 2017? Leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

(All text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is ORIGINAL CONTENT, created expressly for this platform — Not posted elsewhere!)

Created at 2025.11.21 00:45 PST
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