Also, I think this post that @polpolrene just posted can help. Sentinel for beginners - #2 by fergish.
The transfer of safecoin is just a special case of this type of consensus, overseeing and verifying the transfer from the (cryptographically provable) current owner to the new owner, as directed by the current owner. This is my understanding, anyway.
EDIT: I think that people who are really into the blockchain technology have a hard time seeing a completely different model. For most of the world, the blockchain is the first that the “Byzantine Generals’ Problem” had been solved, so I think it sort of takes on the status of an ultimate answer in their minds.