Honestly, this is a really interesting question because rewards are one of the main reasons many people join Hive in the first place including me, if you ask me this question some years back, my answer will be no. When I first joined Hive, I just became a mum then and I need something to do to make money. I searched online for apps that I can get money from but find none not until I was introduced to the hive blockchain. Immediately I heard that I will be getting paid for posting, commenting, or curating content got me interested because it was attractive. But if rewards disappeared completely, would I still use Hive? I think my answer now would be yes.
Of course, things would be different. I probably wouldn’t post as often as I do now, and I’m sure many users would lose motivation. But at the same time, ever since I joined Hive, I've got to understand that Hive is more than just earning tokens. After spending time on the platform, I started realizing that there are other things that make it more valuable.
For me, one of the biggest things is the community. I’ve seen people from different countries connect, support each other, and share ideas in ways that feel more genuine than most social media platforms today. On apps like Facebook or Instagram, everything feels rushed and focused on trends, likes, or going viral. Hive feels different because people actually take time to read and interact with content.
Another reason I would still stay on Hive is because of the freedom it gives users. On other platforms, you don’t really own anything. Your account can get restricted, your reach can disappear overnight because of an algorithm, and the platform controls almost everything, I've got restricted on a platform for what I had no idea on, just because someone tag me with the content they said violated their community rules. With Hive, it feels like users have more control over their content and identity. That decentralized aspect is something I appreciate a lot.
I also enjoy the blogging side of Hive. Writing posts, sharing experiences, and reading other people’s thoughts can still be enjoyable even without rewards. In a way, rewards are like a bonus, but they are not the only reason to create content. Some people genuinely love writing, photography, gaming, or sharing knowledge, and Hive gives space for all of that.
At the same time, I won’t pretend rewards are not important because they definitely are. Rewards help keep users active and motivated. They encourage consistency and participation. For many people, especially those in countries with weaker currencies like mine, Hive rewards can actually make a real difference financially. If rewards disappeared, I think a lot of users would leave because the earning opportunity is what brought them here.
In my opinion, Hive works best because it combines both community and rewards. The rewards attract people, but the community is what makes many stay long term. Without rewards, Hive would definitely become smaller, but I don’t think it would completely die.But nevertheless, I would still use Hive without rewards, even if my activity level changed a bit. Because at the the end of the day, the platform still offers freedom, connection, and a place to express yourself, and those things still matter.
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