Identification and Evolutionary Analysis of User Collusion Behavior in Blockchain Online Social Media

Blockchain technology has given rise to a series of new blockchain online social media (BOSMs), of which Steemit is representative. Such communities are based on a token reward system and attempt to engross users in the knowledge activities of the community through knowledge payment. Studies have found that the reward system of such communities has been abused (e.g., collusion for profit), but few studies have performed an in-depth analysis for this phenomenon. Consequently, real data for Steemit are used as a case study herein to examine the collusion of users in BOSMs. Two user collusion behaviors (group-voting and vote-buying) are defined and measured. On this basis, an identification and evolutionary survival analysis of the two collusion behaviors are conducted for colluding users and colluding groups, and the behavior patterns of user collusion under the token system are deconstructed. The results of this study improve stakeholders’ understanding of user participation behavior in new online communities, and serve as a reference for decision-making in community governance and token design.