Remember that in that dire time you speak of it dropped as low as like $0.10. Then it rebounded some time later. I do think there is hope, as all of crypto is experiencing this decline at the moment. Though we also see some competition with Minds.com releasing the minds token (ERC20) as live and them championing the idea of free speech as long as it is legal... They are behind steem in many ways and are ahead in others. Their CEO was even on Infowars today which in the era of blatant colluding censorship between the big corporations is very attractive. That was a brilliant move on his part and a chance lost for steem to have done that instead. Most of us know that ETH and ERC20 for the time being is far slower than steem (Graphene 2.0 based) or something like EOS, but that is what they chose and at a time when freedom of speech in under attack the likes of what have not been seen since the times kings, queens, emperors, and dictators ruled the globe people seeking a bastion of FREEDOM OF SPEECH is highly desireable.

Opportunity missed... though perhaps they can turn that around and reclaim some of that thunder if they are paying attention.