How to Use Blockchain to Build a Scalable Database?

i admit to knowing very little about blockchains and some about distributed databases.

from previous readings each verified statement needs to be folded into > 50% of the entire population so that there effectively a global quorum. so..that makes it somewhat paxos-like, except with a strong desire not to partition quorums for scalability (as suggested in one of the later sections). which would make performance/node point entirely in the wrong direction.

the article acknowledges this problem, but really doesn't address technical solutions except to link to two company's main pages.

can anyone shed more light?