In my opinion I don't think blockchains are valuable without decentralization. From what I understand, blockchains are really slow and expensive data bases that should never be used if cost and speed are your main priorities. Without decentralization, blockchains are a waste. Now, I understand that true decentralization is very hard to achieve and there's arguments that no coins are actually decentralized, but blockchains are a marketing term buzz word to sell highly centralized company stock. So, what makes blockchains special is decentralization. Other than that, it's all hype with no substance. That's my understanding. :-)