That would mean we are in the building phase of blockchain then and have a lot of innovation yet to come?

State replication algorithms are agnostic to the underlying type of database deployed. So while blockchain offers an efficient means of forging a common set, the research in distributed computing is not universally focused on blockchains. For example, Emanuele has experience in working on fault-tolerant protocols in aircraft sensor communication systems. The same protocols can be used to maintain the liveliness and security of the blockchain. So the next breakthrough in consensus protocols may come from NASA or somewhere similarly unrelated to blockchain.