Of course you can always use traditional databases and code to implement the functionality but then you need someone who runs the code! Even if all code is open source you need a way to verify that the code is actually running, which generally translates into trusting a third party – the company in question (e.g., uber). The third party can be completely removed with DLT — that‘s the unique feature. You don’t need companies anymore but can have direct interactions between users facilitated by a smart contract.
