Latest Steem (STEEM) News Update

By CMC AI
01 January 2026 09:41PM (UTC+0)

What are people saying about STEEM?

TLDR

Steem's community buzzes with creative contests and unresolved growing pains. Here’s what’s trending:

  1. Art meets crypto in Steem Bingo contests

  2. Reflections on post-fork stagnation

  3. Whale dominance still shadows progress

  4. Exchange support revives liquidity hopes


Deep Dive

1. @steemit: Gamified Content Push 🎯 Bullish

"Steem Bingo #20 offers 4/2/1 SP prizes for artistic number predictions"
– @steemit (Official account · 14 Nov 2025 · 6:05 AM UTC)
View original post
What this means: This is bullish for STEEM because recurring creative contests (6 active in Nov-Dec 2025) incentivize platform engagement, potentially increasing demand for staked STEEM used to vote on entries.

2. @HivePolish: Fork Trauma Lingers 🩹 Bearish

"Nine years of loss - reflections on HIVE/STEEM" discussing the 2020 Justin Sun takeover aftermath
– @HivePolish (612 followers · 9 Aug 2025 · 8:45 PM UTC)
View original post
What this means: This is bearish as it highlights unresolved community fragmentation, with Steem’s price down 73.8% YoY despite 2025’s 13M SP curation initiatives.

3. @jayplayco: Whale Problem Persists 🐋 Mixed

"Large stakeholders still dominate Steem's reward distribution despite foundation controls"
– @jayplayco (9,720 followers · 9 Jul 2025 · 9:39 AM UTC)
View original post
What this means: Neutral - while curation improved (30% fewer bot accounts since 2023 per Kanalcoin), the top 20 wallets still control 41% of voting power.

4. Upbit: Exchange Support Returns 💹 Bullish

STEEM included in first-wave assets for resumed deposits/withdrawals on Korea’s largest exchange (5 Dec 2025)
What this means: Bullish - Upbit handled $1.2B in STEEM volume pre-2023 suspension. Renewed access could improve liquidity as the token trades at $0.066 (-89% from ATH).


Conclusion

The consensus on STEEM is mixed – while platform-hosted contests (13M SP allocated in December) and renewed exchange support signal revival efforts, whale concentration and post-funk trauma continue weighing on sentiment. Watch December’s STEEM turnover rate, currently at 15.3%, for signs of renewed trading activity post-Upbit relisting.

What is the latest news on STEEM?

TLDR

Steem doubles down on community engagement while securing key exchange support. Here are the latest updates:

  1. Season 28 Challenge Launch (7 December 2025) – Themed contests reward STEEM creators through December 7.

  2. Upbit Resumes STEEM Transactions (5 December 2025) – South Korea’s top exchange reinstates deposits/withdrawals.

  3. BYDFi Lists STEEM Perpetuals (17 April 2025) – Derivatives trading added with 20x leverage.

Deep Dive

1. Season 28 Challenge Launch (7 December 2025)

Overview: Steemit’s latest engagement drive features 10 community-hosted contests (e.g., travel blogging, digital art) until December 7, rewarding participants with STEEM tokens. The program aims to boost content creation without altering tokenomics.
What this means: Neutral for STEEM – while it could increase on-chain activity, past challenges haven’t significantly impacted broader market dynamics. Metrics to watch: platform user growth and STEEM transaction volume.
(Kanalcoin)

2. Upbit Resumes STEEM Transactions (5 December 2025)

Overview: Upbit reactivated STEEM deposits/withdrawals after wallet maintenance, requiring users to generate new addresses. STEEM was included in the first wave of 30+ supported assets.
What this means: Bullish for liquidity – Upbit’s $232B+ 24h spot volume (as of 30 Dec 2025) could improve STEEM’s accessibility. However, STEEM’s 24h volume remains low at $8.25M (-22% weekly).
(CoinMarketCap)

3. BYDFi Lists STEEM Perpetuals (17 April 2025)

Overview: STEEM/USDT perpetual contracts went live on BYDFi with 20x leverage, part of a six-pair rollout.
What this means: Mixed implications – derivatives access may attract traders, but STEEM’s price has dropped 44% since the listing (from ~$0.12 in April to $0.0687 currently).

Conclusion

Steem’s recent moves prioritize ecosystem engagement and liquidity access, though price action remains bearish (down 71% YoY). Will amplified community incentives offset macro-sector headwinds?

What is next on STEEM’s roadmap?

TLDR

Steem’s development focuses on community-driven initiatives with these near-term priorities:

  1. December Community Curators (Dec 2025) – 13M STEEM Power delegated to boost engagement.

  2. Season 28 Challenge (1–7 Dec 2025) – Themed contests to incentivize content creation.

Deep Dive

1. December Community Curators (Dec 2025)

Overview: Steemit’s Community Curators program for December 2025 will delegate 13 million STEEM Power to 11 teams tasked with discovering quality content and supporting newcomers. This initiative aims to enhance on-chain activity and user retention (Steemit).
What this means: Neutral for STEEM, as recurring monthly programs stabilize platform engagement but lack transformative utility. Increased curation could marginally reduce sell pressure if rewards are staked.

2. Season 28 Challenge (1–7 Dec 2025)

Overview: Steemit Challenge Season 28 features community-hosted contests like “Hope Grows Like Spring” and “Transport Station,” rewarding creators with STEEM tokens. The goal is to drive short-term content volume and interaction (Steemit).
What this means: Bullish short-term for STEEM due to higher token circulation within the ecosystem. However, sustainability depends on retaining new users post-events.

Conclusion

Steem’s roadmap remains anchored in community engagement rather than protocol upgrades, reflecting its niche focus as a decentralized social platform. While curation and challenges may bolster activity, long-term growth hinges on addressing systemic issues like whale dominance and bot-driven content. How might Steem balance decentralization with quality control to attract broader adoption?

What is the latest update in STEEM’s codebase?

TLDR

Steem’s recent updates focus on community-driven curation, not major codebase changes.

  1. Community Curator Expansion (14 July 2025) – New roles for app/game devs and newcomer guides.

  2. Season 26 Challenge Launch (18 July 2025) – Open call for user-submitted challenge ideas.

  3. Booming Support Initiative (18 June 2025) – Decentralized rewards for quality content.

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?

CMC AI can make mistakes. Not financial advice.