As we close the books on the first month of 2026, the Hive blockchain provides us with a fascinating case study in community resilience. While traditional metrics might suggest a cooling period after the holidays, a deeper dive into the data reveals an ecosystem that is becoming more efficient, more conversational, and more habitual.
In this report, we analyze the transition from December 2025 to January 2026, looking at how user behavior is shifting and why the upcoming month of February might be one of the most significant in Hive's recent economic history.
The Quantitative Landscape: Understanding the "Post-Holiday" Dip
It is a well-documented trend in social media that activity peaks during the December holidays and naturally recedes in January as people return to work and school. On Hive, this trend was already visible in December 2025, which saw a slight decline compared to November. January 2026 continued this trajectory in terms of raw volume, but the "floor" remains remarkably high.
Metric | December 2025 | January 2026 | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|
Total posts | 60,493 | 50,865 | -15.92% |
Monhtly active users | 7,797 | 6,639 | -14.85% |
Unique posters | 6,388 | 5,206 | -18.50% |
Total Replies | 573,647 | 565,150 | -1.48% |
The most striking takeaway from this table is the discrepancy between Posts and Replies. While the number of top-level posts dropped by nearly 16%, the total number of replies remained almost identical, dropping by less than 1.5%. This tells us that while users were creating fewer new "broadcasts," they remained just as active in the comments sections, sustaining the social fabric of the network.
The Qualitative Shift: Why 11.11 is the Number of the Month
If we move beyond raw counts and look at efficiency, the health of the Hive community looks better than it has in months. We measure this through "Engagement Depth"—the average number of replies generated by every post.
Metric | Dec 2025 | Jan 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Engagement Depth (Replies/Post) | 9.48 | 11.11 | +17.17% |
Creator Ratio (Posters/Actives) | 81.9% | 78.4% | -3.5% |
In January, Hive hit a milestone of 11.11 replies per post. This represents a massive 17% increase in conversational density. On many Web2 platforms, the majority of content receives zero engagement. On Hive, every piece of content is becoming a hub for more dialogue. The "Creator Ratio" drop to 78.4% also indicates that more users are becoming "curator-interactors"—people who might not post every day but are deeply involved in the community discussion.
User Retention and Habit: The 31% Stickiness
One of the most vital metrics for any app is "Stickiness," calculated by the ratio of Daily Active Users (DAU) to Monthly Active Users (MAU). This measures how many of the monthly users are returning every single day as a habit.
Metric | Dec 2025 | Jan 2026 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Avg. Daily Active Users (DAU) | ~2,350 | 2,064 | Stable |
Stickiness (DAU/MAU Ratio) | 30.1% | 31.1% | Increasing |
Despite the overall drop in users, the Stickiness Ratio increased to 31.1%. In the world of social apps, a 20% ratio is considered good, and 30% is considered elite. This means that Hive’s "core" is not just staying; they are becoming more consistent in their daily usage.
The Frontend Market: The Battle for Mindshare
The way users access the Hive blockchain changed significantly in January. Following a massive campaign-driven peak for InLeo in December, we saw a "return to the traditional" as the major blogging ecosystems reclaimed significant market share.
FrontEnd | Dec 2025 | Jan 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
PeakD | 22.87% | 27.41% | +4.54% |
Ecency | 19.22% | 24.15% | +4.93% |
Actifit | 7.32% | 8.91% | +1.59% |
Unknown | 5.04% | 8.44% | +3.39% |
Hiveblog | 6.50% | 7.94% | +1.44% |
InLeo | 25.33% | 6.91% | -18.42% |
Together, PeakD and Ecency now facilitate 51.56% of all Hive posts, cementing their place as the primary gateways for the community. The rise in "Unknown" traffic suggests more automated tools or niche third-party apps are gaining traction.
I really did check the numbers of inLeo again. And they seems to be correct
Looking Ahead: The February Economic Pressure Test
While January was a month of conversational growth, February 2026 is shaping up to be a critical technical and economic crossroads for Hive. Two major factors are converging:
The HBD Payout "Haircut"
Due to the HBD debt limit (the 10% cap relative to Hive's market cap), we have officially entered a phase where HBD is no longer being printed for author rewards. For the time being, rewards are being paid out in liquid HIVE and Hive Power.
The Impact: This significantly increases the amount of HIVE being minted and distributed daily. While this provides users with more "staking power," it also puts pressure on the liquid supply of HIVE.
The Price Support Challenge
Simultaneously, the price of HIVE is currently hovering dangerously close to a major historical support level.
The Risk: If the price dips below this support point, we may see a "forced" deleveraging or a shift in investor sentiment.
The Opportunity: However, low prices combined with 100% HIVE payouts mean that active authors are currently accumulating massive amounts of Hive Power compared to a year ago.
💡 Conclusion
January 2026 has shown us that Hive is moving away from "spray and pray" content. We are seeing fewer low-effort posts and more high-value engagement. With a stickiness of 31% and an engagement depth of 11.11, the social foundation is rock solid.
As we move into a volatile February, the community’s focus will likely shift from growth to accumulation. The absence of HBD in payouts might feel like a loss of "stability," but for those looking to grow their influence on the chain, this is a prime opportunity to build stake while others might be hesitant.
How are you handling the shift to 100% HIVE rewards? Are you powering up for the long haul, or watching the support levels closely? Let’s discuss in the comments!
Cheers,
Peter