To see what can come next a look at where we are right now is essential. How can you set a direction without knowing where you are first. At the moment there is a state of conflict. A tug of war is going on from all of those trying to make the chain what they think it should be. The chain should be all of them and not just one.

Security.

Security of the chain should remain a priority always. I bring this up now because I am an advocate of a limit term vote for witness and proxy votes.

This does bring up a big security issue for the chain. Previously we were able to protect the chain by forking. Forking the chain is not something we want to do on a regular basis for a security emergency. It would mean we are too vulnerable.

With a limited term voting for witness, many witness accounts will lose some of that HP. In this event, will the chain be left in a vulnerable position for a hostile takeover? This is something to be thought about before a change.

Where are we?

Currently we have a situation of Tug of WAR. Complication comes about when there are more then two sides playing the tug of war.

Right now we have the mass amount of people in the centre, encircled by the rope. No side has enough strength to move the mass of people in the centre. Yet several sides are trying to pull the masses to their side. Each time a side gains ground they don't move the other players of the tug of war. Power seems to get removed from the masses.

The chain is being pulled in so many directions, it is hard to gain traction in any. Personal ambitions prioritised above the chain. The core development team is divided on the best way forward.

To my logic, the best way forward is to establish value for the tokens on Hive. The value of the token is set by demand for the token. There is very little demand for the token other than the few games that are on the chain or by giving tips using @hivetips. What happens after that though. Unless the HIVE or HBD ends up in a hodlers account. Chances are it will get cashed out for FIAT.

Let's examine this. When you spend FIAT. The person who collected from you can then go out and spend that fiat to replace the product you spent on. When you purchase with HIVE, the HIVE is cashed out to FIAT so replacement of a product is possible. This gives a negative influence on the value. The need to cash out needs to be looked at and combatted.

Very few are looking to what is best for the chain and concentrating on their own wealth.

Moving Forward

Not everything needs to be changed. The rewards for blogging should remain the same. There is no reason to change how the blogging and rewards work, unless it is to gain an advantage over others for the limited rewards.

Somethings like the rewards curve need to be looked at. However returning this to a previous state which enables Bid Bots. (Which is said in the white paper, purchasing of votes is deemed to be wrongful use.) Agreement to outlaw bid bots is the way to combat them.

Returning the rewards pool to an equal reward system, where each HP holds the same power for rewards is needed. If a person holds 1% of the HP they should get 1% of the rewards. If someone has 10% of the HP they should not gain extra %'s they should get 10% of the rewards pool.

For what has been done over the last 4 years should not be overlooked. Things have developed to some degree and improvements to the Hive blockchain have been made. There is no disputing that. What has been missed though? Why so much progress and so little gain? It does show the current distribution system for newly generated HIVE works and if it works why fix it?

You can dispute if games give or do not give value to the chain. I am unsure of how many new members utilise the blockchain because of the games available. My impression is the majority are already users of the chain. So we have games coming out for the same few thousand people. Many of which only play the game get the crypto and cash it out to FIAT again. Another negative influence pushing the value of the token down.

Where is the driving force to encourage people to hold HIVE. To use HIVE as a means of currency in daily actions. Creating a demand for HIVE.

There are complications to organising something like this. Mostly, avoidance of corruption. We can set up a system that works, preventing a future time when strong entity becomes a bully is what has to be overcome. Avoiding a ton of bureaucracy before anything can happen needs to be streamlined.

Ways to overcome the obstacles we face ahead of us are available if we create them. Promoting a private projects makes the owner of the project rich and nothing for the chain. Can a company be formed for Hive and its primary goal is to create an environment that creates a demand for Hive.

A very small portion of those I have met have shown a genuine interest in the future of the chain. The majority I see pushing what will accumulate them more wealth regardless of what happens with the chain.

We can increase the amount available for development, if we move outside of the norm. Not everything in Hive has to be digital. There is no reason why you should not be able to go to a local store and use your HIVE to make a purchase.