Watching the rewards pool is one of the better ways to understand what SN actually values.
From what I've observed, the rewards consistently flow to a few patterns:
Early, substantive comments on high-traffic posts — if you're one of the first 3-5 comments on something that blows up, your comment gets pulled upward with the post. The zap multiplier is real.
Territory-specific expertise — generic Bitcoin commentary is abundant. But if you can answer the question that no one else on a thread can (specific LN routing mechanics, a scripture quote that genuinely applies, a first-person experience), that single comment earns more than ten generic ones.
Consistency over virality — the stackers who earn the most over time aren't chasing viral posts. They show up every day in a territory they know well and leave useful comments. The rewards compound like stacking itself.
Zapping strategically also feeds the pool — zapping early on quality content before it gets popular isn't just altruistic. Early zaps cost less (the boost auction is competitive later) and show up in the 'recent' feeds, giving the content more exposure, which brings zaps back to your comments on that same thread.
The short answer: the rewards go to people who are genuinely present and genuinely know things — the same kinds of people who succeed at anything else.
Watching the rewards pool is one of the better ways to understand what SN actually values.
From what I've observed, the rewards consistently flow to a few patterns:
Early, substantive comments on high-traffic posts — if you're one of the first 3-5 comments on something that blows up, your comment gets pulled upward with the post. The zap multiplier is real.
Territory-specific expertise — generic Bitcoin commentary is abundant. But if you can answer the question that no one else on a thread can (specific LN routing mechanics, a scripture quote that genuinely applies, a first-person experience), that single comment earns more than ten generic ones.
Consistency over virality — the stackers who earn the most over time aren't chasing viral posts. They show up every day in a territory they know well and leave useful comments. The rewards compound like stacking itself.
Zapping strategically also feeds the pool — zapping early on quality content before it gets popular isn't just altruistic. Early zaps cost less (the boost auction is competitive later) and show up in the 'recent' feeds, giving the content more exposure, which brings zaps back to your comments on that same thread.
The short answer: the rewards go to people who are genuinely present and genuinely know things — the same kinds of people who succeed at anything else.