Consensys Founder: Still optimistic about the long-term development of the crypto industry; ETH has a stronger functional demand compared to BTC

BlockBeats News, February 18 — ConsenSys founder and CEO, Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin, recently gave an interview with Bloomberg in Hong Kong, sharing his views on the current state and future trajectory of the cryptocurrency market.

Lubin still expressed a cautious yet forward-looking optimism. He emphasized that the digital asset economy is continuously evolving, driven by functional utility rather than pure speculation.

When discussing Bitcoin, Lubin believes it should not currently be viewed as a traditional safe-haven asset. He describes the broader crypto landscape as still resembling an “ecosystem of startups,” and considers it premature to position Bitcoin as a secure store of value amid current developmental challenges.

In contrast, he highlighted that Ethereum’s native cryptocurrency ETH has stronger functional demands. Lubin believes that ETH’s practicality in driving decentralized applications, smart contracts, and a broader ecosystem gives it an advantage over Bitcoin’s main narrative in real-world adoption.

Lubin emphasized Ethereum’s enduring importance within the evolving financial infrastructure. He pointed out that institutional participation is deepening, with major banks, trading platforms, and financial networks increasingly building on Ethereum-based technology and layer-two scaling solutions. He stated that this institutional momentum indicates that even amid market volatility, Ethereum is transitioning toward becoming the next-generation foundational layer for finance.

Overall, Lubin’s remarks reflect confidence in Ethereum’s long-term potential despite short-term market pressures. He describes the ecosystem as resilient and innovative, with tools like Ethereum and MetaMask poised to drive meaningful progress in the digital economy.