I am 100% sure that STEEM will continue. It's not about payments, but it's about growth that will continue to be sustainable.
You must have forgotten that in the first quarter of 2019, STEEM will issue an official SMT (Smart Media Token).
Smart Media Token
SMT is an independent token that will be released on the STEEM network blockchain. That is, anyone can create their own payment tool above the blockchain, and maybe that can later be exchanged with STEEM.
Well, that way a lot of new economies will emerge, for example now:
- musing.io
- steemhunt
- steempress
- utopian-io
- dclick
- stemQ
- d.tube
- dlike
And there are many others, and almost certainly they will also use SMT after the official release to enlarge their independent economy.
That way, investors will be more interested in different functions for the STEEM network, and this will increase market capitalization in a sustainable manner.