In the aftermath of Steem's Hard Fork 23 and my resulting decision to powerdown for the first time since August 2017, there was just the "small detail" of exactly how I was going to pull off the stake transfer!? 🤷‍♂🤷‍♀

^{Source: Based on image of creator ?...? on Pixabay}

It may not be common knowledge, at least for some of you, how restricted American access is to global crypto exchanges. If complying with the laws ... For example, we cannot legally use Binance, Huobi Pro, or Poloneix - all exchanges which accept STEEM. That is, if you can get past their roles in the Sun takeover of the Steem blockchain.

Bittrex is a bit of a gray area, but the "Adventures of Robin Hood" took care of access even to that (i.e. the Bittrex Steem wallet has been "inactive" since HF 23) for the foreseeable future ...😏

So ...

^{Source: Creator Peggy_Marco on Pixabay}

How does one get STEEM converted to HIVE for an American? In this post, dear reader, I provide you with 3 options. In powering down the accounts over which I have control on the Steem blockchain, I have used all 3 of them.

Using Hive Engine

Here are the 3 basic steps, to convert STEEM in your Steem blockchain account, to HIVE in your Hive blockchain account, using Hive Engine:

Open your SteemPeak wallet (SteemWorld is an option, as well) and click on the "Send" button for STEEM:

Illustration of populating the Transfer dialog screen, in SteemPeak's wallet.

Note:
1. graphene-swap is the Steem blockchain account serving as a "bridge" to the Hive Engine.
2. SWAP.STEEM are the tokens on Hive Engine needed for the Market.
3. There is a 1% deposit fee assessed, so … In this example, I got 9.9 SWAP.STEEM in my Hive Engine wallet.

With Hive Engine open, click on Market, then on the SWAP.STEEM token. In the Sell SWAP.STEEM dialog:

Illustration of the Sell SWAP.STEEM dialog, in Hive Engine.

Note:
1. Clicking on the "Highest Bid" hyperlink populates the Price field.
2. Manually enter the amount of your SWAP.STEEM you wish to sell for SWAP.HIVE.
3. Click the "Sell SWAP.STEEM" button.

With Hive Engine open, click on Wallet, then the "Withdraw" button:

Illustration of the Withdraw Tokens dialog, in Hive Engine.

Note:
1. Make sure the "Token To Withdraw" is HIVE
2. Manually enter the amount of your SWAP.HIVE you wish to have withdrawn, for depositing 1:1 as HIVE in your PeakD wallet.
3. There is a 1% withdrawal fee assessed, so … In this example, I got 8.625 HIVE in my PeakD wallet.

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As easy as "1-2-3!" I did not time any of the individual steps, but they were each executed in less than 5 minutes. Probably closer to 1 to 2 minutes. Very efficient! 👍

Using Steem Engine

Here are the 3 basic steps, to convert STEEM in your Steem blockchain account, to HIVE in your Hive blockchain account, using Steem Engine:

With Steem Engine open, click on Wallet, then the "Deposit" button and, after ensuring the "Deposit Token" is STEEM, then click on the "Get Deposit Info" button:

Illustration of the Deposit Steem dialog, in Steem Engine.

Note:
1. Manually populate the amount of STEEM you want to deposit.
2. There is a 1% deposit fee assessed, so … You get 9.9 STEEMP in your Steem Engine wallet.

With Steem Engine open, click on Market, then on the HIVEP token. In the Buy HIVEP dialog:

Illustration of of the Buy HIVEP dialog, in Steem Engine.

Note:
1. Clicking on the "Lowest Ask" hyperlink populates the Price field.
2. Manually enter the amount of your HIVEP you wish to buy for your STEEMP. This is the reverse of the way you handle this in Hive Engine and it's a little tricky!
3. Click the "Buy HIVEP" button.

With Hive Engine open, click on Wallet, then the "Withdraw" button:

Illustration of the Withdraw Tokens dialog, in Steem Engine.

Note:
1. Make sure the "Token To Withdraw" is HIVE
2. Manually enter the amount of your HIVEP you wish to have withdrawn, for depositing 1:1 as HIVE in your PeakD wallet.
3. There is a 1% withdrawal fee assessed, so … In this example, I got 8.6625 HIVE in my PeakD wallet.

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As easy as "1-2-3!" Again, I did not time any of the individual steps, but they were each executed in less than 5 minutes. As with Hive Engine, probably closer to 1 to 2 minutes. Very efficient! 👍

Hive Engine or Steem Engine?

Wouldn't it be nice if whichever Engine app was used, we would end up with a similar result? At least close enough that we wouldn't care about the difference?

While likely the case at times, perhaps even most of the time, in the little bit of research I did before executing my first trades, I learned this cannot be counted on. They are two different markets, so it is understandable.

How to decide?

@roleerob's calc sheet for determining whether to use Hive or Steem Engine

This illustrates the answer for me. I built a spreadsheet to calculate it, once I had gotten the current STEEM and HIVE pricing off of CoinMarketCap.

How this spreadsheet was built is beyond the scope of this post. Anyone familiar with spreadsheets though, should be able to look at what I show above and have a pretty good idea of how they might tackle the problem.

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In my case, for the examples shown in this post, both Hive Engine and Steem Engine were pretty close. Note well, however, in each case, these were the results for selling a very small quantity of STEEM. Even small differences would add up considerably if much larger stakes were being sold this way.

Just shortly before needing to get my first powerdowns sold, another option appeared. I cover it in the following section!

SteemScan's "Quick Convert"

In this post, published on June 3rd, I learned about this new feature of what was originally a Steem blockchain explorer - SteemScan.

Their "Quick Convert" feature is very straightforward, giving the user the choice of converting / exchanging into USDT, BTC, or TRX.

Here is a brief look at how it works:

Illustration of "Quick Convert" Order Entry Screen

Enter the amount of Steem you wish to sell, to generate a "quote," for the order.

Enter the wallet address where you wanted your converted tokens deposited.

If all appears to be satisfactory, in the "quote" then click the "Create Order" button.

Illustration of "Quick Convert" Order Payment Screen

While clicking on the "Proceed Payment" button is an option, I chose instead to create a STEEM transfer from SteemWorld, using the info provided.

A nice touch is to click on the copy icons, which works just as expected!

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While @roleerob makes no pretense to being any sort of expert trader, given the volatility of these crypto markets, I have elected to try my hand it a little bit. I have never really been very "liquid" with these tokens, since I have always been powered up. Now is my chance.

So ...

Of the three options listed, I liked SteemScan the best for larger amounts I want to convert and hold, while waiting for my limit prices to be reached in buying back into HIVE.

For smaller amounts, I think the use of whichever Engine has the best market price is a great option.

Onward and Upward

With that, to wrap up this post, it has been an expensive task, time-wise, to have to figure all of this out. And that is just a portion of what I have had to work through, over the last several weeks, in my teeny, tiny little corner of these blockchains.

Can we imagine, dear reader, the cost of all that has taken place, since the "Valentine's Day Surprise", for thousands of us once on the Steem blockchain?

I do not pretend to know, but of two things I am certain:

It is very high already.
Four months into it, the "final tally" is still a long way from being determined ...

^{Source: Based on images of creator OpenClipart-Vectors on Pixabay}

Supporting neither side of this raging conflict, I was saddened by all that HF 23 represented. I personally had hoped to be able to spend time on both blockchains. Based upon what I wrote here in my recent "Two Years on the Hive Blockchain" post:

"There are still people with whom I have developed relationships I value that keep me going. Some of whom have chosen to focus their primary or exclusive efforts on the Steem blockchain. And who I still wish to support."

"So ..."

"For now, I have remained powered up and active on both. If forced to choose, that will not be difficult. I will focus my efforts exclusively on the Hive blockchain. It is where I already invest most of my time."

While I had my doubts about making it through another year there, I certainly had no idea HF 23 was days away. And yet ..

Here we are ...

^{Source: Creator Peggy_Marco on Pixabay}

As I was just getting used to the idea of spending all of my time on the Hive blockchain, I learned that I am not alone in not being particularly supportive of either side in the "Steem <=> Hive blockchain wars." A group of people have banded together, in their own response to HF 23, to create another blockchain - Blurt!? 🙃

They have taken a "snapshot" of the Steem blockchain, just prior to HF 23 and everyone will receive an airdrop of an equivalent in Blurt tokens. This new blockchain is due to be launched on or before July 4th. Interesting date to choose! Pure coincidence?

Here are some links to learn more about it, dear reader, if you are interested:

"Official" Twitter account.
Post about Blurt on PeakD.
Post about Blurt on Publish0x.
YouTube chat, featuring surpassinggoogle.

Yes, dear readers, both the Steem and Hive blockchains have competition ...

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^{Source: Based on image of
creator OpenClipart-Vectors on Pixabay}

As summer begins in earnest where we live, I am thankful for the opportunity to simply get outside in our garden. It is quiet and peaceful. And compared to all of the complexities of these various blockchains and what the future holds for them - simple! 😉

"Onward and upward" into the rest of 2020!

Closing

Thank you for reading along through my adventures in converting my STEEM to HIVE tokens. In another 3 weeks, it will be complete. About the time the Blurt blockchain is scheduled to "roll out" ... 😏

Shouldn't be bored any time soon! I’d love to hear any feedback you may be inspired to provide.

Until "next time," all the best to you for a better tomorrow, as we all work together to build up our Hive Communities and add increasing value to our Hive blockchain! 👍 😊

Respectfully,
Hivian @roleerob