Latest Steem (STEEM) News Update

Deep Dive

1. December Curators Launch (3 December 2025)

Overview: Steemit activated its December 2025 curation program, deploying 11 curator accounts and 13 million STEEM Power (SP) to incentivize content creation and platform engagement. The initiative targets newcomers and app developers, encouraging active participation through voting and post-sharing.

What this means: This is bullish for STEEM because increased platform activity could drive token utility and demand. However, the program’s impact remains ecosystem-specific, with no direct spillover to broader crypto markets. (Steemit)

2. Curation Team Updates (16 November 2025)

Overview: Steemit announced its December curation teams, emphasizing geographic diversity (e.g., Bangladesh, India, Venezuela) and prior moderation experience. The program follows November’s structure, allocating 13M SP to reward quality posts.

What this means: This is neutral for STEEM, as recurring curation cycles sustain engagement but lack novelty. Consistent SP delegation may stabilize on-chain activity, though broader adoption hinges on external catalysts. (Kanalcoin)

3. BYDFi Perpetual Listing (18 April 2025)

Overview: BYDFi listed STEEM/USDT perpetual contracts in April 2025, offering 20x leverage. The move aimed to enhance liquidity, though trading volumes remain subdued (current 24h turnover: 0.218).

What this means: This is neutral for STEEM. While derivatives access theoretically broadens investor reach, thin liquidity and a -36.74% 60d price trend suggest limited trader interest. (BYDFi)

Conclusion

Steem’s focus on community-driven curation underscores its niche as a social-fi platform, though exchange traction lags. With 13M SP actively deployed, will December’s engagement metrics spark a sustained uptick in STEEM’s utility—or remain confined to its core user base?

Deep Dive

1. @Steemit: Creative contests drive participation

"Steem Bingo #20 wants YOUR creative predictions! Prizes: 4/2/1 SP + Bingo tickets!"
– @Steemit (N/A followers · 605 impressions · 2025-11-14 06:05 UTC)
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What this means: This is bullish for STEEM because recurring contests incentivize content creation and token circulation. However, small prize pools (2–4 STEEM) suggest limited financial upside for participants.

2. @jayplayco: Whale dominance stifles innovation

"Steem’s foundation controls reward distribution, leading to curated content but no revival since the 2020 Hive fork."
– @jayplayco (9,594 followers · 55.9K impressions · 2025-07-09 09:39 UTC)
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What this means: This is bearish for STEEM as it highlights systemic issues like whale-driven governance and bot proliferation, which may deter new users despite ongoing curation efforts.

3. @HivePolish: Fork aftermath lingers

"Nine years of loss – reflections on HIVE/STEEM: Communities remain active but niche."
– @HivePolish (605 followers · 46.1K impressions · 2025-08-09 20:45 UTC)
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What this means: Neutral for STEEM – while the post critiques poor returns since 2016, it acknowledges sustained (albeit diminished) activity, suggesting a loyal base despite broader market disinterest.

Conclusion

The consensus on STEEM is mixed: grassroots initiatives aim to revive engagement, but legacy issues like centralization and post-funk fragmentation weigh on sentiment. Watch STEEM’s active addresses and reward distribution patterns for signals of whether curation efforts translate into sustainable network growth.

Deep Dive

1. December 2025 Community Curators (24 November 2025)

Overview:
Steemit is finalizing its December 2025 Community Curators program, allocating 13 million STEEM Power to reward curators who identify high-quality content. Teams are selected based on geographic diversity and prior moderation experience (Kanalcoin).

What this means:
- Bullish: Increased curation activity could drive platform engagement, potentially raising demand for STEEM.
- Risk: Centralized delegation of voting power might limit decentralization benefits.

2. Challenge Season 28 Launch (17 November 2025)

Overview:
Steemit’s Challenge Season 28 begins on 17 November 2025, featuring 10 themed contests (food, art, travel) to encourage user-generated content. Winners receive STEEM prizes, fostering organic participation (Steemit tweet).

What this means:
- Neutral: Short-term engagement spikes may not translate to sustained utility growth.
- Bullish: Regular challenges could stabilize user retention, supporting STEEM’s use case.

3. Steem Marketplace Expansion (2026)

Overview:
Long-term plans include launching a core marketplace framework by 2026, enabling users to create custom marketplaces (similar to Shopify) and expanding APIs for developers (Steemit blog).

What this means:
- Bullish: Marketplace adoption could diversify STEEM’s utility beyond content rewards.
- Bearish: Delays in infrastructure development risk losing momentum to competitors.

Conclusion

Steem’s near-term focus centers on community incentives, while long-term goals hinge on marketplace infrastructure. With STEEM down 68.9% YoY, success depends on balancing engagement initiatives with tangible utility expansion. Can Steem leverage its niche Social-Fi roots to outpace broader market headwinds?

Deep Dive

1. Community Curator Expansion (14 July 2025)

Overview: Steemit introduced specialized curator roles for game/app developers and newcomer mentors, requiring applicants to hold ≥5,000 Steem Power.

This update aims to diversify content curation by leveraging niche expertise, such as blockchain-based gaming or onboarding support. Curators influence STEEM token distribution by voting on posts, directly impacting reward allocation.

What this means: This is neutral for STEEM because it reinforces existing community governance without altering tokenomics. However, it could improve content quality, potentially attracting niche users.
(Source)

2. Season 26 Challenge Launch (18 July 2025)

Overview: Steemit opened submissions for user-proposed challenges, requiring teams of 3 (or solo) with locked Steem Power.

The initiative decentralizes event planning, letting communities shape engagement strategies. Challenges historically drive short-term platform activity but haven’t significantly impacted STEEM’s price or adoption.

What this means: This is mildly bullish for STEEM as it incentivizes Steem Power retention (reducing sell pressure) and could temporarily boost user activity.
(Source)

3. Booming Support Initiative (18 June 2025)

Overview: Steemit prioritized “booming” rewards for high-quality posts, managed by community curators instead of centralized teams.

The update shifts reward distribution to trusted users, aiming to reduce spam and low-effort content. Historically, similar measures improved engagement but struggled with whale dominance in voting power.

What this means: This is neutral for STEEM because it doesn’t resolve systemic issues like whale influence but may enhance content sustainability.
(Source)

Conclusion

Steem’s 2025 updates emphasize community-led curation over technical upgrades, reflecting its focus on retaining niche users rather than protocol innovation. While these efforts may stabilize engagement, they don’t address long-standing challenges like whale dominance or developer attrition. Will Steem’s Social-Fi model evolve beyond curation experiments to attract new builders?