I also don’t get it. Auditable trail? Use a Merkle DAG. Or something like this Permissionless Timestamping Network: https://intercoin.pdf/whitepaper.pdf

I mean how hard is it? What are the real challenges?

Glad it's not just me.

Elsewhere they say something like "But it works like a database! You do queries and everything!"

Ok. So sign a database.

It's like they're expecting developers to not know a damned thing about blockchain, but know they want a secure database and something with cool buzzwords in the name and AWS has one for them as long as they have a credit card.

AWS needs to provide clear and compelling places where AWS is not the answer to everything. I am not hearing that, and it indicates to me a lack of appropriate executive direction. Yeah, sure, build a cult. But build a cult with guardrails.

I'm not sure that this is the "Make stuff people want" that I would be comfortable pumping to others. I don't know. I must be missing it.

Why wouldn't you put it all in one spot? The technical requirement of needing an audit table is ubiquitous and I bet almost every SQL database in history eventually ends up having a history table of some sort. This technical requirement is unrelated to any regulatory requirements about (not) storing data in the cloud, and certainly shouldn't be coupled to it.