To move rewards to "layer 2", there needs to be attractive staking options on layer one with HIVE.
Whether that be good interest rate from an actual stable HBD and/or bump up the measly 3% return on staked HIVE, and whatever, is another story. Like you said, RC (and governance) is not worth it for most people.
Something silly I've thought about is the amount of HIVE you staked affect the interest % for your HBD holdings.
Reducing inflation reduces the stake rate that people will want to hold the token. If it is inflating at 8% then people want 3% plus some extra earning potential (we know this because the staking return on HP is not fixed, it depends on willingness to stake). If it were inflating at 1-2% then the latter would also be different.
The staking rate can go up if we move rewards to layer 2 and redirect that 65% or whatever allocated to the reward pool to staking, no?
I tossed in the HP affect your HBD interest % thing as a random thought for added utility of staking HIVE if curation were to go away. Without curation, RC and governance seem like mediocre use cases for staking for the average person.
Sure it could I'm just pointing out that the original suggestion to reduce inflation is also plausible.
Well RCs would be the go-to, and that could actually play a bigger factor than we see now. If the blockchain grows, then RC costs will grow with it. If we have both growth and RC pools are ever implemented, then I'm positive a market will surface for the large stakeholders to rent out RCs and make a passive income with their stake.
That's a lot of ifs, and I don't think it's the only solution, just something to think about.
I guess we shall see...if we ever get there.