I wonder if we need to redefine what a minnow/dolphin/whale is considering the low number of people who have even reached "minnow" status based on the current standards.

Is a minnow someone with 100SP or more, and a Dolphin 1000 SP? Does any of it really matter?

The last question is easy. Yes it matters, because human nature makes us like to see rankings and have something to aspire to. Would more people with less than 500 SP more actively try to increase their stake in STEEM if the "steps" seemed more attainable?

After over a year, and several Steem purchases, I am still "only" halfway to being a dolphin. And I am ahead of the growth curve for a lot of people I know who joined around the same time.

If we can't make it easier to get to 500 or 5000 SP, maybe we lower the threshold for gaining "status" to give people a mental incentive to keep building.