I may be putting a target on my back a little, but if there’s one mission I have on this blog, it’s to be true to myself. I have thoughts in my head that want to come out, and this time, they’re about the always controversial DHF

Let’s start with the question:

Who owns Hive?

The answer is both simple and complex. We all do, but sometimes it hardly matters.

good ol' George Orwell said it best:

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

The humanist in me has resisted that truth for as long as I can remember. But I’m getting older, and reality has a way of wearing you down. Equality, no matter the “ism” we dress it in, may simply be out of reach for us simple humans.

Hive is "decentralized" — but decentralization is an ideal more than anything. All crypto projects exist somewhere on the spectrum, and no system is perfectly balanced. We may all own Hive, we may all have some skin in the game, but equality in influence is not something we’re achieving, and maybe not something we ever can.

Circumstances shape everything

Years ago, I’d write bitter posts about people “dumping” tokens and driving the price down. My indignation felt righteous at the time, but looking back I'm a bit embarrassed.

Things changed when I learnt of the passing of a Hivean user who relied solely on blog earnings to feed herself. It’s hard to condemn selling when survival is the reason after all.

Everyone has their reasons to sell. But this reality has also slowed the growth of Hive’s middle class. Yes, there are dolphins and orcas, but most of the ocean is minnows — many with reputations higher than mine too.

The votes that count

Here’s where it gets uncomfortable: Hive has a stake centralization problem. But we were never going to avoid it.

Wealth accumulation is, by definition, an imbalance in distribution. Those who can save and power up grow their influence. Those taking too many punches to the face adjust their hopes to reality.

This isn’t judgment, its just observation.

The result is that most voices are quiet. Hive’s democracy depends more on the benevolence of the powerful than on algorithmic fairness.

Some will argue this is better. Those with much to lose tend to think long-term. Having skin in the game means the biggest holders also have the most to gain if Hive thrives. There’s logic in that.

A while back, @pharesim made a “democracy calculator” showing how much your Hive Power translates into representation. Playing with that tool made the imbalance crystal clear to me.

A tangent — and why it matters here

Think about how pharmaceutical companies work in the US. Many of the biggest names are financially successful beyond measure, yet much of their R&D is subsidized by taxpayers.

Don't know who coined this phrase, but it fits like a glove:

“Socializing the cost while privatizing the gains.”

It’s not a perfect parallel, but keep it in mind as we talk about Hive’s inflation model and the DHF.

Inflation is a tax

Hive inflates its currency to fund servers, apps, and development. Call it what you want — it’s essentially a tax on all stake holders.

I’m fine with that because it’s voluntary. I’m here by choice, I use Hive daily, I build on it. But taxes, voluntary or not, should come with accountability, right?

Enter the DHF

Not long ago, I read a post by @blanchy criticizing how Value Plan allocates funds. The tone was sharp, but the questions it raised were fair.

I’m not here to bash Value Plan. I know the people involved, and I know they work hard. But I do think much of the frustration comes from a lack of measurable transparency.

• Where are the KPIs?
• Who has them?
• Where can we see them?
• If they exist, why is this not common knowledge?

Even as an eight-year Hivean, I sometimes look at the numbers and feel lost. And it’s not just Value Plan that confuses me— some DHF-funded projects aren’t even open source. How does that fit with our ideals?

This is where the pharma parallel comes back: costs are spread across the community, but in some cases, the gains are kept behind closed doors.

In conclusion

I may be venting, and I may be pissing in front of a fan, but this comes from love — love for Hive and its community too.

If I didn’t believe in where we’re headed, I’d have sold long ago. But I can’t ignore the moments when I feel in the dark, a little confused, and frankly a little frustrated.

I’ve invested time, love, and money here. I think it’s fair to ask for clarity.

If I’m wrong, teach me. If I’m ignorant, help me understand.

Much love

MenO