Let's be honest. If anyone can really afford R&D in new technologies, it's IBM. Especially because they are already on a mission to implement blockchain in daily use. For example food industry with supply chain, advertising, finance trades. See for yourself:
https://www.ibm.com/blockchainBut what actually this mean? Is IBM on a path to conquer the world of blockchain? Did they found the missing link to adoption BC to masses? Or are they still on a mission to find it?
Because since I first heard for blockchain, I've wondered what is the REAL usability of a new player in technology, so-called "blockchain". Is it only good at being public, decentralized? For this case, I thought, OK, this may be good for finance (bitcoin), also elections, but what else?
Can blockchain technology really come ahead with a hybrid between public and private? I work in the Mechanical Industry sector and can clearly see what IBM is doing right now. And when companies will recognize the potential in it (savings, better, faster work, accuracy, less waste...) it will become huge. But in this case, we are talking about private blockchain that can still outperform traditional databases. So it means, it works.
Masses need to adapt technology to become global. But I think in this case those masses will be companies, later people. And companies don't like to share data with everyone, only with parties that are trustworthy. And this is how (hybrid) private blockchains can rise.