If the consensus itself is the reward, and all interested parties have a stake in the consensus - which would seem sensible, though I admit the article doesn't

If the consensus itself is the reward, and all interested parties have a stake in the consensus - which would seem sensible, though I admit the article doesn't say - the incentives don't need to work in the same way. (Of course, blockchains are so hot right now, and that can attract all sorts - so who knows what the real motivation is here? But I think dismissing it as a transparent con is premature.)