The difference between Steem now and Steem 1 year ago, is that back then we were the only blockchain that was truly being used. Steem was being used by people, ergo it was the people's blockchain.
Today we have less people using Steem than 1 year ago. On the other hand, other blockchains like EOS seem to have gotten significant traction with users (although, even then, it is difficult to tell how much of the usage is real and how much are spoof transactions for PR purposes). It's becoming harder to argue that Steem is ahead in terms of users etc.
True there are less users but I would say that the ones active now are far more valuable to have. Rather than just being here solely to earn a few dollars and run they are part of building an eco system that should grow over the next few years. The people here now are here in spite of the low value of steem because they can see beyond the current price. Other blockchains have gained ground but in my own opinion are still a long way back from what is possible here right now.
The main difference for me is that anybody can earn steem now without chasing a gandful of accounts and begging for votes. Now it is possible to earn through using the apps and grow at a reasonable speed. When I joined it was nearly impossible to earn 10c on a post for weeks. Now with @actifit you can do it the first day and grow from there. There are options on the chain.
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