Circulation really matters. I see other coins like Litecoin pushing it on a daily basis.
Speaking of places to spend Steem on, I came across @steembay auction the other day. That is another case at utilization that no one talks about.
@IFC, ran by @apolymask, has a primitive market that runs on their Discord. Imagine if there is development talent putting that idea to work, but on a larger scale.