Not wanting to spend crypto is a big part of the issue I feel with crypto being adopted. Of course, like you said, many would rather hold it instead of spending it, but it would probably depend on what service or platform would allow for us to use crypto in the first place. For example, my friend trades in the coins he mines or gets from his mining pool in order to pay for his vps fee. That's a big reason why I think something like the bitcoin pizza was absolutely necessary; in order to show others that yes, crypto can be used as an actual currency. The problem is the method of earning that crypto.

That is why I agree with you on the Steem part. Since there is a way to earn it, it honestly doesn't feel as bad if you had to take some out to spend it because you would know that as long as you were putting out content, you had a chance to earn back what you pulled out.