I guess this is the time of change. Considering Steemit Inc.’s changes and what Ned is really looking to do onwards, I feel this is the time that this blockchain will have to grow-up. It will either become a grown-up or watch himself being abbandoned in time. I’m part of the optimists, must say :) and I’m one of the many enthusiasts who came in december 2017 and hasn’t made a buck on this ecosystem. But somehow I fell in love with the mechanics behind it and I still see that as revolutionary. And no, I don’t think that those who try to copy it will have any major success or at least it will not be the case that the copier will thrive and the original will die.
The opportunity right now is for who ever knows how to and is willing to develop and for people/organisations that are looking to help and at the same time to invest in Steemit and the social media side of the blockchain. I think a discussion in this sense should be started with Steemit Inc. and the community to bring forward the people ready to invest in keeping up nodes (as an example) so the whole social experience of the ecosystem will not crumble. The blockchain on its own will have near zero value...