Steemit: Whales, Dolphins, and Minnows- The Importance of Steem Power on Steemit
Everyone is Talking About Whales, Dolphins and Minnows
As the Steemit community grows, and users continue to come aboard in the hopes of earning money for liking and uploading content, one thing is certain: not everyone is getting the same piece of the pie.
Some users are able to like content and AUTOMATICALLY pay that user $15 for said content. It's like a big tip, based on a heavily weighted vote.
This vote's weight, as you are most likely aware, is based on how much "Steam Power" the voter has. They can heftily move and shift opinions about content that deserves recognition, much like a "whale" makes huge waves that affect everything in the sea around it.
(P.S. Minnows, Dolphins, and Whales exist in every financial market. If whales make a big sell order, they can crash entire markets with small caps- and if they buy, everyone makes money)
Minnows - Soldiers/Peons/Pipsqueaks/Regular/Headshot
This is the average user on Steemit. Perhaps they've come aboard just recently, hearing about their free money just for signing up. Perhaps they've already put $10, $20, or maybe even $100-$500 into their Steem Power, to try and gain some weight on their votes.
Minnows have very little ability to influence the direction that votes take, as their votes are not worth very much. It would take many multiples, maybe even in the 100's, to make them worth the same in votes as one whale. Minnows cannot up vote content and immediately give it a "tip". At best, they might be able to get you $.01, as they slowly climb through the early Steam Power numbers.
Dolphins - Generals/B-List/Cool-Kids-On-The-block/Heroic/Unstoppable
These are people who have invested a decent amount into the Steemit platform. They have generally invested a few thousand into their Steem Power, and are able to give a couple of cents to content with one single vote. As they vote, they begin to entice others to vote, capturing the attention of recent post's voter's attention a tad. They might give a blog post 10 cents just for their vote. As Steem Power has grown in their wallets, through investment (or enough money earned off of posting and up-voting content), they now have Steem Power that truly grows by itself just by sitting there. They get slowly more and more powerful and influential. Maybe one day they'll even join the ranks of...-
Whales - Commanders-in-Chief/Kings/Godzillas/Legendary/Godlike
These are the big kahunas. When they like something, YOU'LL know. Hell, you'll probably like their content too, if you don't want to miss out on earning a few bucks by not liking them early on. When they like something, you'll see it under "Recommended, Hot, Trending", and pretty much heading every other sexy category, with a good number of monetarily valued digits under them. These are the guys with 50,000 Steam Power. 100,000 Steam Power. 1,000,000 Steam Power. When they move, everyone looks in awe, as they shake the markets with each step.
I did not realize I was a dolphin. Cool. But, I actually do try to upvote things I support and like which I guess is the point.
Moving up! Yeah, you definitely have a bit of power there. It'll get harder and harder to become a dolphin, or whale, as time goes on.
Hello fellow dolphins :-) I also try to upvote things as often as I like something!
Looks like I'm not even a soldier, but I'will give my best to grow!
At the moment I'm working at a project which is very important to me.
It's a bitcoin/hacker/clicker game I'm programming and I always need some feedback. Please have a look if you are interessted in crypto or gaming in some way ;-)
https://steemit.com/gaming/@sn0w-fox/bitcoin-hacker-game-uplink-hacker-elite
ur aint the only one bro
I am a minnow, lol?
And I don't realize I am just a soldier here,just a minnows.
me too @mady27
ha ha I am still Minnow @mysurrounding
You were a dolphin 2 years ago, but now you're a minnow! What happened!? How'd you get smaller?
I powered down. I needed the money in the real world. So Im thankful it was there.
Well that's good. Good luck getting back up there!
Yeah I noticed this on my 2nd day. I'd have a post with 21 likes worth $0.00 and then I'd have a post with 2 likes worth $43.00. It is obvious when it happens.
Yep...it's pretty extreme. If you attract the attention of one of the big boys, like Donkeypong, then you can get a pretty penny real quick.
I don't know who I attracted the one time it happened to me. It was fast though. I reinvested it all back into STEEM POWER.
Smart move. Early on, it's probably the best thing to do for us.
Sad thing is I did it via STEEMIT and it takes a week. Then I watched a post on how to do it through bittrex.com and could have done it today. :)
I put all of the steem dollars I make into steem power, that's the way to make your steem truly grow over time. I also want to help curate by having more power to vote for interesting and informative posts like the one above.
You can do it via the market under the hamburger menu
Hahah.... you lost me but that sounds pretty funny. Do you care to elaborate?
Upvoted. You deserve a small fortune for invoking my name. :) But in truth, I am near the bottom of the Top 100 SP holders. I'm just a big dolphin. There are some mega, mega whales above me!
Well seeing as your name comes up in the right circles, it doesn't sound like it'll take you long to be considered among em. Cheers, my friend, and thanks for the comment! :D
You lost me pong. I am following you from the day I am active in steemit. So what is to me?
LMFAO, this is great
Well you did good here! 12 votes and $20!
Yeah not quite sure how that happened.
Sometimes good luck is all you need.
Yup agree. So I am always curious to give some deal to Whales. Why can't you upvote our blogs and get some SBDs, since your vote so valuable. I am giving 0.01 to Two SBDs for each of my blog upvoted. its not business but I want to make sure that Steemains time & efforts should be rewarded
Lol
Hi crypto loving your content not suprised the wales like it to , no doubt you will be swimming around with willy soon enough lol
Hahaha thanks, nicoret =D You get my 3 cents. Also, you are right- it seems like one, or a few, just swam by this post. Cheers, and all the best to you.
The name of one of those whales is dantheman. Great cat and supporter of the community.
Yeah it is nice to see when a whale actually votes on content that is valuable to the community..hell it is good to see any vote on valuable content...nice post mate:)
Agreed. Whales are very important to the curation community. They have a responsibility to up-vote contributing content, and not pornography and quick-buck content.
Thanks for the comment :) You get my up-vote.
A++ post!
![](https://steemitimages.com/0x0/http://i.giphy.com/cRq8TJsIKmQRG.gif)
edit: so is this me?
I only hope the whales do vote based on preferences and that, even though there are not many whales, there are enough to warrant a variety of fair preferences. Or they could just vote their friends and favorites and the rest would get nothing. As this evolves, we'll see. But funny post crypto :D
Love this post. Don't like the fact that, with about $100 in my account... I'm a bloody minow haha.
Interesting read thanks!
Glad to be of service :) My pleasure, endgame
Well said...
I like the way you're presenting each category of Steemians !
Tis the new neighborhood =D