The best way to think of this may be that Mark and the executives at FB are like a VC firm funding a new skunkworks project in a high-risk, high-reward category

The best way to think of this may be that Mark and the executives at FB are like a VC firm funding a new skunkworks project in a high-risk, high-reward category. Let's say there is a 10% chance that blockchain ends up being incredibly relevant to the future of social networks. It would make sense for FB to make what amounts to a seed investment in the space, knowing that it could very likely not amount to anything.