What factors will satisfy us that blockchain technology is on track for realizing its potential?
Because as of now we see very little in the way of commercial and user engagement...
This discussion would need to be broken into 2 types of blockchains: public and private.
A public blockchain with a token based mining system is where the greatest potential lies. A private blockchain is somewhat like an intranet where a public blockchain is a full-blown internet.
Yet I would bet that private blockchains will be a bigger success than public ones in the future.
It seems very unlikely that Bitcoin will ever be a world currency, though it could well be used as a method of transferring capital around the world.
A private blockchain can be used by stock exchanges and banks to bring them into the 21st century. The amount of paperwork that they need to do is just silly, it can all be covered by a blockchain.
That blockchain will undoubtedly be private, windows in might be allowed, but hacking opportunities would be too high if the open it to the public.