The main reason for making our own chain is that our reputation system - the Importance metric, is deeply integrated into the blockchain itself. We also needed another set of nodes for calculating this metric, as it's a resource-heavy math, which may tamper with block producing nodes' performance if run simultaneously on the same machine.

We took EOSIO source code as a basis, because it’s a scalable fast blockchain, with all the features you may need nowadays, and augmented it and augmenting them with our Delegated Proof of Importance consensus model and algorithm, additional node type for measuring Importance metric and calculating the dynamic emission volume (Calculator Nodes), and social transaction types.

The DPoI, as opposed to PoS and DPoS, is based on the idea that not only account stake, but its incoming transfer and social activities both contribute to the overall value of the network, attracting new members and stimulating its growth.

Say, walmart or 7/11 has high cash-flow and near-0 balance at any given moment, despite creating value for the neighborhood. Wikipedia has the most relevant content database, but doesn’t have significant incoming cash-flow. Both are as valuable for the network just as any other major stakeholder and must be given their share of influence.

DPoI also allows for influence redistribution inside the network, which is highly unlikely in the PoS models, as there the chance to produce blocks (and get rewarded for it) is either directly influenced by your stake (PoS), or by total stake delegated to you (DPoS). Members of the network which actively contribute to its growth (as I’ve shown you in the example, shops with high cash-flow but low account balance, content producers, sharing valuable information and getting lots of upvotes but no direct cash in return) now have a say in the network government and development.

The dynamic emission is a special type of emission initially introduced to provide additional liquidity and mitigate token exchange rate spikes during network growth peaks, and is distributed among network members in proportion to their Importance, rewarding them for creating value for the network and attracting new members.

Those features cannot be implemented on existing chain, as current balance of power in EOS (2% accounts holding over 90% of the stake - https://medium.com/fortuneinsider-com/eos-wealth-inequality-top-1-6-of-holders-own-90-of-supply-78d7bf785b6f) will be redistributed over time. This is highly unlikely, even though the parameters of the algorithm are voted upon by the delegates.

If EOS Block Producers agree to implement our Importance model, we will easily migrate the U.Community dApp to the mainnet.