The blockchain is nothing more than an analogous open-sourcing of persistent and [usually] immutable data I/O, similar to how code is open-sourced today. The early naysayers of the free software movement may have said "But how will programmers get paid?"

Well, we have plenty of successful business models for open source software now. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_models_for_open-sourc....

I agree that at the current point in time, blockchain-based projects are experimental and risky. Even Steemit, known to be one of the more successful late-gen blockchain projects, is not without its critics to this day. But there will emerge successful business models just as with the free software movement.