What's hard to understand about a really slow append-only database where you have to set a barrel of crude oil on fire in order to make a commit?
(edit: yes yes, 'proof of stake' blah blah)
(edit: yes yes, 'proof of stake' blah blah)
Plenty other projects have adapted the concept or even forked the code. The core team behind this back when it was named opencoin are without a doubt millionaires now and some even billionaires. So you are right but it way way to late now. Not to says that there could not be a even better solutions. But its already several thousand times better if you compare raw metrics like speed/TPS/energy usage etc. an even better solution would likely not make that much of a difference again.