**[Consensys Founder: Long-term Optimism for the Crypto Sector, ETH Has Stronger Functional Demand Compared to BTC]** BlockBeats News, February 18 – Joseph Lubin, founder and CEO of Consensys and co-founder of Ethereum, recently shared his views on the current state and future trajectory of the cryptocurrency market during an interview with Bloomberg in Hong Kong. Lubin expressed a cautious yet forward-looking optimism. He emphasized that the digital asset economy continues to evolve, driven by functional utility rather than purely speculative forces. When discussing Bitcoin, Lubin suggested that it should not currently be regarded as a traditional safe-haven asset. He described the broader crypto landscape as still resembling a "startup ecosystem," and argued that positioning Bitcoin as a secure store of value might be premature given the current developmental challenges. In contrast, he highlighted the stronger functional demand for Ethereum's native cryptocurrency, ETH. Lubin believes that ETH's utility in powering decentralized applications, smart contracts, and broader ecosystem activities gives it a real-world adoption advantage over Bitcoin's primary narrative. Lubin underscored Ethereum's enduring importance in the evolving financial infrastructure. He noted that institutional participation is deepening, with major banks, trading platforms, and financial networks increasingly building on Ethereum-based technologies and Layer 2 scaling solutions. He stated that this institutional momentum indicates that, despite market volatility, Ethereum is transitioning toward becoming the foundational layer of next-generation finance. Overall, Lubin's remarks reflect confidence in Ethereum's long-term potential despite short-term market pressures. He portrayed the ecosystem as resilient and innovative, with tools like Ethereum and MetaMask poised to drive meaningful progress in the digital economy.