There is a tendency for us to either understate or exaggerate our perceived value on the chain based on a number of factors. Should it matter? Not really. Yet it is important to mention in some regards in order to fully understand what is required for the Hive chain to truly be success. Every stakeholder plays an important role on this chain.

So Who is a Stakeholder ?

To define what it is, I'll define what it's not. A stakeholder is not an account holder on Hive, as virtually anyone can open an account. Scammers, spammers and cyber criminals could potentially run accounts alongside well meaning individuals until they begin to display their true selves. A stakeholder is also not someone who fulfills the basic minimum requirements for activity such as some exchanges that hold just enough Hive Power to run their accounts without hitches, even though one could argue that they provide alternative value.

If value is the key criteria in being a stakeholder, then perhaps no value is more visible than actual stake. Anyone who holds a substantial stake is definitely a stakeholder, and those who have the largest stakes know they have something to lose should the place crumble, hence their rationale for involvement. While stake isn't the only criteria, mere observation shows that virtually everyone who is deeply involved in creating or providing value for this project has significant stake on it.

Despite having no formal organizational structure for the community, developers and users alike have done a great job of identifying roles and committing to them. From the committed devs who constantly seek to improve the product, content creators whose content give the place visibility and those powerful stakeholders who support as well as limit the level of spam/low value content. We all matter.

This post is beyond an encouragement speech though. It is rather one that could perhaps stoke a deeper sense of reflection in us and point us towards how we could best maximize these roles. There are rewards regardless of the roles we choose, and getting the right role customized for us might be a better deal than going with what is popular. Content creation might not be best suited for a particular person who has more coding or marketing skills for instance, and perhaps those talents are underutilized in that area.

Luckily, the Hive chain has so many roles for us to play, and more are being created. Depending on interest, there is almost certainly a niche available. There are also several interests along industries such as gaming, finance, tech, investing, Blockchain innovation, healthcare, sports, with many more finding their niche markets. There is certain a lot of potential in these areas and those who can build on the right roles early will likely benefit a great deal when the Hive chain peaks.