You guessed it, I have absolutely no creative juices flowing today and my thinking cap is likely pulled on backwards. Since I don't have a ready topic in my head for today, I thought I'd reflect on the impact of the powerdown timeframe at the individual level.

When I came on board, the 13 week timeframe was already in effect and there were a lot of criticisms directed towards witnesses who supported the timeframe for complete liquidation of all Hive earnings. After all, 13 weeks (roughly 3 months) is no joke when you consider the average skill can probably be learned fully within that timeframe.

A lot of users felt that having instant access to Hive stake, or at least a considerably shorter powering down time will have a net positive effect on the Hive ecosystem. Since it has actually not been implemented since I arrived, the jury is still out on that one. However, as the ecosystem began to mature the need for such a timeframe began to pop up significantly.

Security

Perhaps the most important reason we have come to generally embrace the power-down period is because it serves as something like a last defense security measure. We recently had one prominent hive user, Belemo whose account was hacked on the Binance Trust Wallet and $10,000 worth of assets stolen. If that had been on Hive, the timeframe would have made it impossible for a thief to get away with much, provided most of the Hive earnings have stayed powered up. Also it is important to note that should a Hive account be hacked, the recovery features should already be removed from steem to a trusted user else that account will be lost forever.

Savings

Beyond security though, the timeframe also sort of enforces a savings culture. Don't get me wrong, there are those who do want to keep stacking and growing their Hive assets but can't, while there are those who will power-down no matter how little it is. This addresses the former, and such a lengthy timeframe gives opportunities for second thoughts before deciding on whether to liquidate earnings or not.

LEO Exception

Certain tokens like the LEO have been an exception to the temptation for quick liquidation primarily due to the incentives they provide users to keep holding. LEO can be invested for returns, staked on yield farms or simply stacked in expectations of an increase in future value.

Not many tokens can boast of these kinds of robust incentives though, and we often see many of them dumped once they can be sold for a profit.

Conclusion

I think generally the community has come to accept this timeframe as necessary and it falls within the line of delayed gratification. Staking on Hive has also translated for many of us to other investments both on and off the blockchain, and it is an important concept made possible by the lengthy power-down period.

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