In the browser space, yes. In the API and platform space, no. Every other browser has already resigned to just "do what Chrome does" instead of expecting Chrome to confirm to the standards as written.
Do you not see how this is a huge hedge for Google? You control the platform and APIs, you rule the world.
Microsoft used to understand this very well.
On top of that, if you have to compete in the browser space by forking off of Google's rendering engine and web platform, you're always going to be behind.
Why do you think I don't see that?
On top of that, if you have to compete in the browser space by forking off of Google's rendering engine and web platform, you're always going to be behind.
Why? That's certainly not what happened with Google's browser.
Because they can outspend you in engineering resources to push forward, and working with someone elses stack is a burden, not a blessing, if the other side moves more quickly (and forces you to rebase).
Features built into the browser that, currently, you use Google services for, which you wouldn't have to go through them for any more if they're built in?
What if, for example, a browser came out with orders of magnitude better ad-blocking built in? That browser could run Blink, benefiting from Google's engine, but directly undercut their business.
In fact, isn't that exactly what Brave[1] is? A Blink based browser that blocks ads and trackers, and includes their own payments platform for micropayments. I see at least a couple conflicts with Google there.
Or, hell, even just a Blink based browser that defaults to Bing search.
[1]: https://brave.com