Blockchain is marketed as this transparent, secure ledger, but after following a few real-world projects, I wonder if the hype outruns the practical benefits. My friend's company piloted a blockchain supply chain tracker, and it cost twice as much as their old database while delivering roughly the same accuracy. Sure, decentralization matters for finance, but most business cases don't need it. Is blockchain genuinely a revolutionary tool for mainstream industries, or is it just an expensive solution looking for a problem?