During an Uber weeks back, I had a discussion with a talented musician about music and the role blockchain will have going into the future...

![Steem_eco.png](https://steemitimages.comDQmTiHxPgvRi7t7eetV2bADo6ragtKCvyZqw8ihDsNXrx5P/Steem_eco.png)*source @designeffort*

He texted me this morning with a link to a certain project asking if it was what I was talking about, which it wasn't. So, rather than simply talking about it, I decided to write a post and show him instead.

Here was my response:

>Good morning bud! Sorry for being so bad about getting back to you, things have lately been kind of hectic. Here is an answer to your question and a series of links to get you started:
To start, [fenix.cash](https://www.fenix.cash/) is definitely trying to use blockchain technology, but it's not necessarily being being applied in the same way and is also still in a pre-launch phase The specific blockchain I was referring to launched in 2016 and has been growing rapidly since.

https://steemitimages.com/DQmeL8W5fj3KRLFgppni9r7ayd93KLoExjZMDDmpMjMRMtD/STEEM%20HOME%20PAGE.png

That's the STEEM blockchain—which since 2016, has paid out $22,728.958.00 dollars, and has an exponentially growing community of developers, users, and investors.
How it works --- >[STEEM](https://www.steem.io) is the name of the blockchain and the main token used in the network. The STEEM protocol is the open foundation that's available for anyone to use and build on.
So, sites like [Steemit](https://steemit.com), [Dtube](https://d.tube), [dsound](https://dsound.audio), [steepshot](https://alpha.steepshot.io), which are just some of the many growing applications being being built on STEEM, allow you to experience and interface with the blockchain in different ways. ![steem_ui.PNG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmaaqU6gCZFVkfydzooS3bDcoDTdj8cHpBZDhXjALy6jjp/steem_ui.PNG)*source @designeffort*
STEEM is the decentralized platform that all of these centralized sites are built on. Where and How to Start --- >The first site built on the STEEM platform was steemit and because of their similar sounding names, they're often mistaken to be the same thing— but they're not. I mention this because it's a distinction a lot of people have trouble grasping, but is critical to understanding the potential and game-changing nature of this technology. *(I'll get more into that in another post)*
You can get a free account on STEEM through [Steemit](https://steemit.com) by signing up [here](https://signup.steemit.com), all you'll need is an email and a phone number. It typically takes a few days for your account to be verified and created, upon which you'll get a confirmation email.
You'll be asked to create a unique login that will serve as your address/digital wallet. Once you do that, you'll be sent to a screen where you'll receive your Owner/ Master KEY. These things are critical to your account security, so write them on and store it in a safe and secure place (preferably offline), because there is no retrieving that key if it’s lost or compromised.
While you wait for your account to be verified, you should get spun up on the network by reading the [blue-paper](https://steem.io/steem-bluepaper.pdf), and then starting here. That's where to start, but this should definitely leave you with more questions than answers, and I look forward to trying to answer them. Goodluck.

I hope you enjoyed, thank you for reading!

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