<div class="pull-right">https://pennsif.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/steem-news-2-454x278.png</div>

<strong>The latest stats show the Steemit Crypto Academy is growing well.</strong>

<strong>Steemit Iron Chef has got off to a great start with over 65 entries in the first round.</strong>

<strong>Today's Steem News also includes news and updates about Steem.Amal, Steem Sri Lanka Charity, the Steemit Assisted Village, Steem Total Value Powered Up, STEEM Accepted Here Stickers, Steem in Thailand, some useful guides and how-to's, and many more contests...</strong>

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<h2>1. Steemit Crypto Academy - the Stats</h2>

Crypto Professor @sapwood has produced a detailed breakdown of the statistics for Season 2 of the Steemit Crypto Academy.

So far in the second season there have been an average of 860 homework entries each week, from 810 unique authors...

* [**Comprehensive Summary Sheet | Steemit Crypto Academy | Week-1 to Week-5 (Season-2)**](https://steemit.com/hive-108451/@sapwood/comprehensive-summary-sheet-or-steemit-crypto-academy-or-week-1-to-week-5-season-2)

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<h2>2. Steemit Iron Chef off to a Great Start</h2>

Organiser @progressivechef reports that the relaunched Steemit Iron Chef contest has got off to a great start with 66 valid entries in the first round.

The contest takes place over 15 rounds to the end of the year.

The winners of Round 1 are @niven, @reneepineda,  @yolimarag, @roquiro,  @chetanpadliya,  @crisvera, @karianaporras...

* [**WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT : STEEMIT IRON CHEF 2021 ACT 1 ROUND 01 - TOMATO THEME!!! Congratulations Everyone!**](https://steemit.com/hive-180301/@progressivechef/winners-announcement-steemit-iron-chef-2021-act-1-round-01-tomato-theme-congratulations-everyone)

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@progressivechef has also entered the @steemfood SteemCoffee Shop contest with a proposal to rebrand his existing restaurant in Mauritius as a SteemGrill...

* [**SteemFoods Contest -20- | Proposal to rebrand my crypto restaurant! Work already started!**](https://steemit.com/hive-148497/@progressivechef/steemfoods-contest-20-or-proposal-to-rebrand-my-crypto-restaurant-work-already-started)

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<h2>3. Steem.Amal Budget Update</h2>

Program Manager @el-nailul has posted a budget update for Steem.Amal.

The total funds available currently stand at 220 million IDR  (USD 15,300).

Steem.Amal has a whole range of projects planned for the coming months covering education, health care, housing, community economic development and emergency response...

* [**Official Report: Budget Forcast dan Rencana Program [30% steem.amal, 20% Steemseacurator]**](https://steemit.com/hive-103393/@el-nailul/official-report-budget-forcast-dan-rencana-program-30-steem-amal-20-steemseacurator)

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Steem.Amal Lhokseumawe Field Coordinator @radjasalman has reported on emergency assistance being given to a family who have lost their home to fire in Paloh Punti...

* [**Preparation and distribution of assistance to @ steem.amal for the house fire accident in Paloh Punti**](https://steemit.com/hive-103393/@radjasalman/persiapan-dan-penyaluran-bantuan-steem-amal-pada-musibah-kebakaran-rumah-di-paloh-punti)

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@nazarul meanwhile has been carrying out a survey of a family in Dayah Tuha Village who are looking for help with business development and possibly medical aid...

* [**Conducted the first steem.amal survey to Mrs. Hamidah's house in Dayah Tuha Village, Meureudu District, Pidie Jaya Regency**](https://steemit.com/hive-103393/@nazarul/melakukan-survey-pertama-steem-amal-kerumah-ibu-hamidah-di-desa-dayah-tuha-kecamatan-meureudu-kabupaten-pidie-jaya)

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<h2>4. Steem Sri Lanka Charity Update</h2>

The Sri Lanka Community charity @sl-charity has now given out 2000 STEEM in phase II of its work program.

Donations have gone towards an urgent Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery, a Wall Oxygen Supply System at an ICU and a PCR Covid-19 Testing Machine...

* [**Sent 2000 STEEM to Save Lives ! | SL-Charity Phase II**](https://steemit.com/hive-133716/@sl-charity/sent-2000-steem-to-save-lives-or-sl-charity-phase-ii)

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SteemFoods has also recently distributed assistance through its new community charity.

Working through Moderator @rypo01 SteemFoods are providing funding to supply food to three Venezuelan families in need...

* [**Food Donation Starts From Venezuela For Three Families | SteemFoods Food Donation 1**](https://steemit.com/hive-148497/@steemitfoods/food-donation-starts-from-venezuela-for-three-families-or-steemfoods-food-donation-1)

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<h2>5. Steemit Assisted Village Update</h2>

Project Coordinator @sultan-aceh has posted another report on the construction progress of the Mushalla in Buket Village...

* [**Development Achievements 04 - Steemit Assisted Village and Build a Mushalla AL-Qariah in Aceh**](https://steemit.com/hive-185836/@sultan-aceh/development-achievements-04-steemit-assisted-village-and-build-a-mushalla-al-qariah-in-aceh)

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<h2>6. Steem Total Value Powered Up</h2>

@remlaps has produced another update on the amount of Steem currently powered up.

It has continued to rise and has now reached a a record 117,542,190 STEEM - the highest since he began recording the stats...

* [**Steem Total Value Powered Up - $77 million - May 21, 2021**](https://steemit.com/steem/@remlaps-lite/steem-total-value-powered-up-usd77-million-may-21-2021)

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<h2>7. STEEM Accepted Here Stickers</h2>

Promo-Steem Venezuela Promoter @oscarcc89 has produced free-to-use stickers for shops and businesses taking payments in STEEM...

* [**Stickers Collection for your business - Accept payments in Steem [Esp/Eng]**](https://steemit.com/hive-153176/@oscarcc89/stickers-collection-for-your-business-accept-payments-in-steem-esp-eng)

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These may be useful for @magcarnie who is signing up businesses in Ghana.

Her first success has been @demaskofarms, a snail farming company in Kumasi...

* [**Steem Promo To Businesses: I have signed up Demasko Farms and will soon sign up more**](https://steemit.com/hive-153176/@magcarnie/steem-promo-to-businesses-i-have-signed-up-demasko-farms-and-will-soon-sign-up-more-10-payout-to-promo-steem)

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<h2>8. Steem Growing Rapidly in Thailand</h2>

Working with @pichat, and supported by @anroja of Steem SEA, @linlada639 is making great progress in building a Steem Community in Thailand.

Starting from near zero @linlada639 has already grown the number of Steemians to 16...

* [**Steemit Thailand : Report Active Users May 2021**](https://steemit.com/hive-103393/@linlada639/steemit-thailand-report-active-users-may-2021)

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<h2>9. Guides & How To's</h2>

@alejos7ven has produced a very useful guide to Steem Witnesses - what they are and why we should be voting for them...

* [**LEARN ABOUT STEEM: Witnesses. What are they? Why should we support them? | APRENDE SOBRE STEEM: Testigos. ¿Qué son? ¿Por qué debemos apoyarlos?**](https://steemit.com/hive-139293/@alejos7ven/learn-about-steem-witnesses-what-are-they-why-should-we-support-them-or-aprende-sobre-steem-testigos-que-son-por-que-debemos)

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Witness @ayogom regularly puts out posts on various technical aspects of Steem, for example here are a couple on how to use Markdown and HTML when preparing posts...

* [Steemit writing grammar [Markdown]](https://steemit.com/hive-101145/@ayogom/79nlte)

* [Steemit writing syntax [HTML]](https://steemit.com/hive-101145/@ayogom/html)

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<h2>10.  Contests, Contests, Contests...</h2>

**As an offshoot of Steem News @pennsif now publishes a daily listing of the 'soon to close' contests on Steem...**

* [**WIN WITH STEEM : Contests closing in the next two days @ 20 May 2021 - $370 to be won**](https://steemit.com/winwithsteem/@pennsif/win-with-steem-contests-closing-in-the-next-two-days-20-may-2021-usd370-to-be-won)

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@masumrbd has produced a compilation of current contests on Steem...

* [**Compilation of Ongoing Contests on Steemit - 17 May 2021 - 5% of this post will go to BD Charity**](https://steemit.com/hive-138339/@masumrbd/compilation-of-ongoing-contests-on-steemit-17-may-2021-5-of-this-post-will-go-to-bd-charity)

@shahriar33 has also compiled a list of contests organised in communities...

* [**Steem Journal | Steem Community Contests Status**](https://steemit.com/hive-145160/@shahriar33/steem-journal-or-steem-community-contests-status)

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<h4>KEY DATA  [ from <a href="https://coinmarketcap.com/">CoinMarketCap</a> ]</h4>

<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 176px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 22px;">STEEM price</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 22px;">US$ 0.63</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 22px;">23 May '21 1.57am UTC</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 22px;">STEEM price</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 22px;">0.00001652 BTC</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 22px;">23 May '21 1.57am UTC</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 22px;">CoinMarketCap Ranking</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 22px;">#149</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 22px;">23 May '21 1.57am UTC</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 22px;">SBD price</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 22px;">US$ 6.04</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 22px;">23 May '21 1.57am UTC</td>
</tr>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 22px;">Alexa rank (steemit.com)</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 22px;">#17,055</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 22px;"><a href="https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/steemit.com">23 May '21 1.57am UTC</a></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 22px;">Unique visitors (steemit.com)</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 22px;">216,917 / day</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 22px;"><a href="https://hypestat.com/info/steemit.com">23 May '21 1.57am UTC</a></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 22px;">Page views (steemit.com)</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 22px;">911,050 / day</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 22px;"><a href="https://hypestat.com/info/steemit.com">23 May '21 1.57am UTC</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

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This is #360 (22 May '21) of this daily news service.

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<em>[ graphics & images by @pennsif ]</em>