What about the "Samsung using STEEM rumors" which pumped the price in March?

what can Sun lose when he does not buy Steem(it)? Steemit right now, is the center of the Steem universe. Steem itself has roughly 5-7.5k daily active >>unique<< users (hard to estimate). According to the metcalfe network formula (value ~ n²), yielding a potential value of 25-50 Million USD for the whole system. So the market does quite well calculate the intrinsic value of the network (not more, not less), which confirms the efficient market hypothesis. Im sure it has something to do with the algorithms exchanges uses, since most price evolutions can be correlated with metcalfe, even co-integrated.

So in itself it is quite valuable just because of the user-base and so are the few startups around Steem. The biggets problem Sun has to solve is that in February VOICE will launch its beta.

Block.One (as you probably know) has paid a 24Million penalty to the SEC and now the SEC has decided that EOS is not a security (the SEC has set up a waiver (Verzichtserklärung)) so basically Block.One is risk free regarding to the regulation issue- which is a huge advantage over TRON

Block.One paid further 30 Million for the domain (the highest price ever paid) and the worst would be that they buy the Steem(it) users by airdrop or what ever. We know that there is compatibility with accounts.

Now when Sun buys Steem(it) there is the following problem:

• destroying Steemit or even the game mechanics of the Steem chain (which is not impossible) would kill the competition which Steem is, which would be a gift to Dan and Block.One.

• pumping capital into Steemit.Inc and the head developer team would benefit Steem but it also would bring Sun return, which is kind of a hedge.

• doing nothing...well would probably end in favor of Block.one

--> so he would be better off buying Steemit.Inc as an investor. The problem here is that there is a certain regulatory risk. Sounds good but from a legal point probably not that easy.

Why has Poloniex delisted STEEM right before Sun revealed his investment in Poloniex? Was he interested in weakening Steemit.Inc?

Who else could be behind the rumors? Well maybe the Upbit exchange which is constantly pumping and dumping the STEEM price and which is also investigated for the illegal practice. Korean Times 2018. Maybe there are usefull information for you, I personally have no conclusion