This explanation has been updated for the new HIVE blockchain, which, in case you don't know, it's a fork of the Steem blockchain. Please note also that the terminology HTU (for Hive) and STU (for Steem) has been adopted by a few web interfaces like peakd.com and steampeak.com.

In the beginning, the rewards were displayed in USD, and that created a lot of confusion. Those USD weren't actually dollars. They weren't also HBD, nor HIVE. So, what was it? It's what I'l call from now on a "Hive Token Unit", or HTU. This is different from HBD and HIVE as currencies, and it's actually the expression of the underlying value storage in the HIVE blockchain, which goes under the name vests.

So, the potential reward you see near your posts is actually expressed in HTU.

Example: you see near your post $100. In order to understand how much you will get, we will talk form now on in HTU whenever we refer to the numbers the UI is showing. So you actually see near your post 100 HTU.

Out of this, you give away 50% from your HTU to curators.

You remain with 50 HTU.

This amount is split 50 / 50, with the following algorithm:

• the first half is given in HBD only, or HBD + HIVE, if the HBD printing ratio is lower than 100%. So we have two cases here:
  1. HBD printing ratio is lower than 100%, so we have both HBD and HIVE. The ratio between the two is based on the printing ratio of HBD. Please note that you actually get the dollar worth of HIVE, not the absolute numbers
  2. HBD printing ratio is 100%, so we have only HBD: 25 HBD
• the second half is given in Hive Power, at the current feed price (the price that Hive witnesses set for the HIVE token) in USD. So you get $25 worth of Hive Power. If the current feed price of HIVE is, let's say $6, you get $25 / $6 = 4.16 Hive Power.

Please note the difference: you get HBD directly as half of your rewards, but you get your Hive Power at the current market price of HIVE, not in absolute numbers.

You get half as HBD, and half as USD equivalent value expressed in HP, at the current price of HP in USD.

The end result for something that displays 100 HTU near your post:

Case 1: HBD printing ratio 100%

• 50 HBD
• 0 HIVE
• 4.16 Hive Power

Let's see how much this means in fiat at the following prices: HIVE = $6, HBD = $8.

• 50 HBD x 8 = $400
• 4.16 Hive Power x 6 = $24.96.

So $100 displayed rewards, are actually equal = $424.96 real USD.

Case 2: HBD printing ratio 50%%

• 50 * HBD ratio/100 = 25 HBD
• 50 - 25 HBD = $25 / Hive Price = 4.16 HIVE
• 4.16 Hive Power

Let's see how much this means in fiat at the following prices: HIVE = $6, HBD = $8.

• 25 HBD x 8 = $400
• 4.16 HIVE x 6 = $24.96
• 4.16 Hive Power x 6 = $24.96.

So $100 displayed rewards, are actually equal = $449.92 real USD.

Feel free to play with the sliders above and test various scenarios.