Failing to grok Blockchain as the new database, what is it I am missing?

in #bitcoin7 years ago

I keep seeing press releases, news articles, and ICO announcements that basically go like this:

"The state of Blockchainico is putting birth certificates on blockchain."
"XYZco will track real estate titles on a blockchain."
"Blockchain supply chain management."

I get that the Bitcoin blockchain is secure. Because anyone can mine for new blocks, and a gadgillion computers are doing so. But there's hundreds (thousands) of other projects now that want to use their own blockchains to store information. And the announcements either imply or outright claim that these blockchains will be secure, even "immutable".

Will they really? Who will be securing them?

In all of these cases, who will be mining the chains and why? Who will operate nodes, and how many will there be? Just how immutable will these single-purpose blockchains be, without a valuable token with its own use case attached as an incentive? Will these really just be databases disguised as something more?

I'd really love it if someone can explain what I am missing, because I really don't get it. I'd get it if all of these projects were to use a major (top 5?) blockchain to secure their data. But I really don't understand how using new, purpose-built blockchains offers any advantage at all, unless some other economic incentives can be brought to bear.

Help?!?