I'm sort of on a middle road. I do know your position and our points of agreement, which are far more than any points of disagreement.
I believe change is inevitable and unstoppable. The technology must supplant the current system because the archaic system is crumbling. It is slow, it is ineffective and vulnerable. Blockchain changes the entire paradigm. When I first read the white paper in 2010, I knew this technology would change the world. I first addressed a large gathering of the financial sector on this issue in 2011. I wrote a white paper on it as well.
I see a future where traditional finance retains some power and decentralized finance slowly increases it's effectiveness. Maybe completely at some point, but I doubt it. There are benefits to having systems in place that coordinate between entities the way Ripple and traditional finance do.
I am excited about the prospects outside of banking. Contracts, complete transparency in voting, medical and medical records, etc. There is a whole world to be explored. I will be talking more about a project I am working on once we get it off the ground. Another potential game changer that traditional bankers may not like, but still with one foot in traditional finance. I wish I could say more about it now. But in due time...
I agree with you that Ripple solves a lot of problems and am skeptical about the application of blockchain to everything, when why not just use an encrypted database.
https://www.crypto-news.net/while-blockchain-exploded-in-2017-has-it-grown-up/
I'm unconvinced about medical records, honestly. But, I'm with you on everything else. My partner in publishing my monthly newsletter is a CEO of a small company trying to solve medical records problems and in his mind we're a long way from any functional solution if it's even necessary.