in my dealings with shapeshift, i can confirm that they do not make their settlements unless they have to. shapeshift has often not been able to buy as much steem as I want to sell to them, and these are generally small amounts.

I don't think it is as profitable, at least not yet, to run these multi-crypto OTC dealer businesses, but I think they probably are doing ok. They basically act as buffers between the in-and-out of the various cryptos out there. I hope more of them spring up, because I hate dealing with exchanges.