Wouldn't it make sense to normalize the block storage format?
That would make it practical to do various operations between computers, like fill missing data or compare/verify.
The block storage and file formats are normalized. What you can't do is ensure that every single node has exactly the same data in exactly the same order. This is because during normal operation, orphan blocks will cause nodes to receive different blocks in different orders. Some nodes might see a block which another node does not see at all. Or they might see two different blocks and write them in the same position. Because of orphans, it is not possible to make all nodes have exactly the same data in exactly the same order.
During initial sync, having to write the blocks to disk in blockchain order rather than order received will result in a slower sync.
Why XOR the chainstate data or (index?) database files?
To prevent antivitus software from messing with the database files because sometimes they contain virus signatures because virus signatures are embedded into the blockchain. Having the database files corrupted will require the entire database to be rebuilt which will take a long time.
