Hey, @newageinv.

The earnings we accumulate here in the ecosystem are coded to be in our native cryptocurrency, Steem and Steem Backed Dollar (SBD).

So, I know what you're going for here, STEEM and SP are similar as far as STEEM is concerned, so I hope you don't mind me getting a little nitpicky about this, especially since you mentioned the fact that we are getting STEEM now instead of SBD.

However, we don't really get liquid STEEM until the SBD debt ratio gets above 9% and close to 10%. We get SP. And while I guess that be looked at as interchangeable, when SP takes 13 weeks to liquify, I just have to make note of it.

Especially since I was thinking about a post at some point that would talk about the tokens on STEEM-Engine and how even if they do have aspects of HF21's EIP in them, there's a crucial difference, I think, that's playing out there.

You don't PALP, or CCCP. You get PAL or CCC. They're transacting in the actual token, not in a debt instrument and staked tokens. That, for me, makes things much more interesting.

re: cause of less earnings

I guess all of the above works. Lowered engagement, lowered curation, lowered eyeballs, lowered participation.

At the same time, though, the earnings we are getting are much larger than we would otherwise get if the value of STEEM were higher. So, I don't know. I've been looking at it as a great time to earn and invest in STEEM. I just need to have some fiat to do it with. :)