Highly competitive cultures actually make it hard for people to innovate ... to be supported while trying and failing and learning is necessary. Crypto, and Hive in particular, requires that kind of support. Quiet as it is kept, learning crypto, and Hive in particular, is a fine invitation to embrace the freedom to fail and thus grow tremendously -- both helped me progress past perfectionism, and raised my tolerance for uncertainty and risk!
Sometimes a highly competitive culture is great but at the same time, it's too rigid just like you also said, it's hard to innovate and be different. The thing is, I really hope through these things, parts of it would change and I want to contribute something to its change.
Keep doing what you are doing ... change it for yourself and light the way for others ... we learn best by example!