I'm actually optimistic on the programming language research that can come out of it. One implementation bug can collapse a whole blockchain or series of smart contracts, and I've seen some more research going into language design because of these issues.

Other than that, I think the technologies will always be niche. At the end of the day its cheaper to have a single mutable source than many different immutable sources with a resolution mechanism, and economics tends to move towards the cheaper substitute (also cheaper in terms of complexity, many decisions are made out seeking simplicity, even if the more complex option is the optimal choice).