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An optimistic answer would be that blockchains are highly scalable, trustworthy systems of record that provide a number of benefits over a traditional database.

• canoebuilder 9y ago
  I like that dichotomous approach, but are those two in balance? What makes it more scalable than a database when a characteristic is a redundancy of copies beyond what would reasonably be needed for sufficient backup? What makes it anymore trustworthy than a database with only trusted actors authorized with write access? The trustful, or verifiable aspects of a blockchain come as a side-effect of independent actors competing for a financial reward. How does one replicate that dynamic in a single organization? Why would one bother trying? a number of benefits over a traditional database A blockchain doesn't provide a number of benefits over a traditional database. A database isn't even a particularly fine-grained description of a blockchain. A blockchain is a key component of an experimental currency inspired by a particular political ideology that is at odds with many aspects of western civilization, such as the benefit of trust in a society. It's not really useful insofar as most people can tell in any other contexts. Even it's usefulness in it's native context is not highly established.