I don't know if I believe it or not, but I guess it's plausible. Not sure about impacts. Brainstorming
Immediate
- Tron would gain somewhere around 20-30% control over the Steem blockchain
- Tron would gain control of Steem development
- Steem development and marketing would have deeper pockets (assuming they're not buying it just to snag blockchain developers for Tron)
- Witnesses - impact unknown, but Tron could install their own favorites
- Tron would gain control of steemit.com, which is the only place that I think censorship by China is immediately relevant.
- In the short term, users could circumvent censorship by using alternate front-ends, like steempeak or busy.
Mid-term
- Tron's control of witnesses and development could enable more stringent censorship by China
- Working towards standardization of blockchains
- Response to censorship could require a new Steem-based blockchain through use of the MIT license
- Would Tron change delegation procedures w/ Steemit's stake, or even start curating with it directly?
Long-term
- Blockchains merge. TRX becomes a token on Steem or STEEM & SBDs become tokens on Tron.
- SMTs, steem-engine tokens, and whatever tokens exist on Tron's chain all flow to the same platform.
I appreciate your quick insights regarding this rumor.
Unfortunately, this isn't actually the case. The irredeemable's list on Github demonstrates that Steemit Inc. is able to effectively undertake censorship, and presumably other direct controls, on individual accounts as well as other vectors for individuals to communicate on Steem. Many platforms depend on Steemit APIs directly, despite MIRA better enabling proprietary nodes, which propagates Stinc's execution of such undertakings on those other platforms.
My concerns don't stem from financial, but political, control mechanisms. Demonetization would not substantially impact my speech. Censorship, or direct intervention, which has been undertaken by other actors before I undertook pseudonymity, will.
Thanks!