You are entitled to your own opinion, of course, @zer0sum . However in legal terms, XRP is considered some sort of currency or asset. You have 2 examples of this:

[What Ripple's Fincen Fine Means for the Digital Currency Industry](http://www.americanbanker.com/news/bank-technology/what-ripples-fincen-fine-means-for-the-digital-currency-industry-1074195-1.html)

[Ripple Labs Settles Lawsuit with Former Founder Jed McCaleb](http://themerkle.com/ripple-labs-settles-lawsuit-with-jed-mccaleb/)

So of course, STEEM or XRP are cryptokens and the US Dollar is just a paper out of thin air. However due to enforcement, subjective value and use, they have value.

I myself don't consider paper money as proper "money", but because I do have to interact with a world that enforces its use and considers that government paper money as actually having "value" I still use it. My own opinion on the matter isn't enough to turn it worthless at this moment.