Hive (HIVE) operates on a delegated proof-of-stake (DPoS) consensus mechanism, launched in March 2020 as a hard fork of the centralized Steem blockchain. Positioned as a bridge from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0, Hive claims to offer rapid processing times and fee-less transactions. Its diverse use cases include social media platforms with incentivized content creation, interactive blockchain games, identity management solutions, micro-loans, and more. Notable decentralized applications (dApps) powered by Hive include Splinterlands, PeakD, and HiveBlog. Functioning as a social network of apps and services, Hive enables users to explore the capabilities of blockchain technology, engage with the platform, and securely share content while ensuring fair redistribution of value. In the Hive ecosystem, users are the stakeholders of the network, allowing sponsors to directly engage with communities and artists without intermediaries. As an open-source blockchain, Hive prioritizes scalability through layer-2 sidechains while maintaining data integrity via a shared layer-1 blockchain backbone. The Hive ecosystem operates on two primary cryptocurrencies: the native governance token, HIVE, and the USD-pegged stablecoin, HBD.