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Project is financed/supported by community in general and witness fund also contributes to those developments of other apps like SteemPoll, SteemMonitor, SteemFest and few other not announced ones. Also eSteem is using beneficiaries feature that with time hope to create self-sustaining model. There are more than 130 people contributed to the project for translations and logo designs and other means, mostly voluntary basis, but also receiving reward/support from the community.

From post earnings probably