It's the first real cryptocurrency-backed, content creation/curation incentivized social media ecosystem.
Game-changer.
Whether it succeeds or not, the fusion of a cryptocurrency ecosystem with an easily accessible social media platform IS ground-breaking. And the potentials that could be grown out of that ecosystem, leveraging the crypto model - integration with open-source tech for development of all sorts of apps...
Others have theorised about it and begun planning it. Steemit is the first to execute.
It's by no means perfect. It's still early on in the development.
But to have gotten as far as it has, attracted as many smart, creative, open-minded, forward-thinking individuals as it has - and hold the opportunity for expansion whose greatest limits are the imagination of the participants...
"Special" may be subjective. Though all that fits it into the category, at least in my books.
Fantastic answer.
I just wish the content was more imagination at work and less "here's how I finally made money on Steemit."