Hive account@dan said something really profound actually. The trail of the content Steemians leave on Steemit is the real "Proof of Work". In his own words "The content that Steem produces is lasting value, while Proof of Work is not." Around 5:00 in the video. Mining merely dissipates energy in the ether.
RE: Steemit Creator Dan Larimer on How Steemit Is Changing Social Media Forever