If everything goes as planned, I’ll probably become an orca early next year.
And honestly?
When I started, I only dreamt I'd become a dolphin someday—talk about low expectations! I mean, who aims for "dolphin" when you could accidentally evolve into a killer whale?
Until now, the rules were clear:
write, curate, grow HP, repeat.
It works. It still works. (Though sometimes it feels like I'm just grinding levels in a blockchain RPG where the boss is inflation.)
How did I get there?
I started on Steemit.
Bought and staked a little in the beginning. I posted like crazy for a couple of years—writing and drawing. Farming votes, I admit.
Then the BIG FORK happened. Hive started. I sold all the Steem and moved to Hive, doubling my HP. Essentially, everything I got, I Powered Up. (Because nothing says "smart investor" like turning digital coins into even more digital coins that you can't spend without feeling guilty.)
I try not to be a dick, hardly ever downvote, commenting sometimes.
Writing less and less, auto-curating more with time.
Lazy way, I know.
From a short-term ROI perspective, that’s perfectly rational.
But let’s not kid ourselves: that mindset is also how ecosystems slowly rot.
At higher HP levels, every vote is a signal.
And signals compound—for better or worse. (Mine might be signaling "Hey, I'm napping—wake me if something fun happens.")
50K of HP is only a milestone.
Actually, nothing changes. But even an orca should have New Year's resolutions. (Mine include: eat more fish, avoid getting beached, and maybe vote without autopilot.)
I am aware that my 100% vote is more visible.
So what can I do with it?
I can vote manually more. (Gasp! Manual labor? In this economy?)
If orcas only optimize for themselves, Hive becomes a closed loop:
the same accounts, the same votes, the same recycled rewards.
That ocean feeds whales—until it doesn’t.
I’m not interested in becoming a full-time teacher.
I am interested in not swimming in an empty ocean five years from now.
I brought a few people to this blockchain, but it didn't change their lives. You can't force nobody to do nothing, really. (Tried that once; ended up with awkward silences and unfollows.)
So the strategy probably lives in the middle:
Because if orcas won’t help shape the ecosystem, Hive will still survive—just smaller and less relevant.
And that’s a bad trade, even for whales.
