[zaarn]

>Otherwise you have an inefficient database that has no reason to exist.

That doesn't mean it isn't a blockchain. A inefficient or poor implementation of something is still an implementation of that thing.

>People think you just need Merkle roots including previous blocks, like you do, but that’s useless and pointless without the rest.

I'm well aware of the additional properties required to get it to behave like bitcoin or have cryptographic safety. But those are to my knowledge not a must-have for a blockchain nor defining characteristics.

As the name implies, it's a chain of blocks, the less obvious part is you link them with something cryptographic.

And just because Blockchain was first used and defined in Bitcoin doesn't mean the definition or methodology cannot be separated from Bitcoin, in fact, I consider it heavily separated from Bitcoin by now.

And again, just because they are factors in making Bitcoin work doesn't mean you need them to make a Blockchain.