Joseph Lubin Says ‘All Roads Lead to Ethereum’ as It Becomes Neutral Financial System at EastPoint: Seoul 2026

"I believe that as the Ethereum ecosystem expands, it can ultimately become a neutral payment and settlement system. Over time, all roads will lead to Ethereum."

Joseph Lubin, an Ethereum co-founder and Consensys co-founder, made the remarks on Sept. 28 at EastPoint: Seoul 2026, held at the Westin Josun Seoul Parnas in Seoul's Samseong-dong.

Lubin described Ethereum not simply as a digital asset or blockchain network, but as a new form of "trust infrastructure." "Ethereum is fundamentally a new architecture," he said. "If trust is viewed as a product, it can create more value and reduce risk."

Lubin cited "credible neutrality" as Ethereum's core competitive advantage over other blockchains. "There are many Layer 1s in the market today, but I think it is hard to find a protocol with credible neutrality other than Ethereum," he said. Nearly everything is already collaborating with Ethereum, he added. Asked how the ecosystem will evolve, Lubin said all roads will ultimately lead to Ethereum.

He also said Ethereum's role will expand as institutions and companies accelerate their move on-chain. "A lot of companies are moving on-chain," Lubin said. "In that environment, holding Ethereum as both a digital asset and a collateral asset can become the engine for using a wide range of applications in the future."

Lubin also highlighted the role of Ethereum treasury companies, or DATs. Referring to how web-related companies supported startup growth in the early days of the internet industry, he said treasury companies such as SharpLink can help support ecosystem growth as Ethereum enters the mainstream.

Joseph Chalom, chief executive officer of SharpLink, who joined the panel, said one of the strengths of Ethereum treasury companies is their ability to hold Ethereum for the long term while using staking and decentralized finance, or DeFi. SharpLink is the second-largest Ethereum DAT. "Companies that hold Ethereum in treasury can keep it as a permanent asset and seek returns through staking and DeFi," Chalom said. "They can continue to hold the asset for years while participating in the ecosystem."

Chalom also said asset tokenization and the spread of artificial intelligence agents will accelerate growth in the Ethereum ecosystem. Referring to BlackRock Chief Executive Officer Larry Fink's view that all assets will be tokenized, along with policy shifts by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, he said the future in which everything is tokenized is clear.

"When assets are tokenized, agents will take on many roles," Chalom added. "For agents to operate, they need reliable infrastructure, and Ethereum can play that role."

He also expressed strong interest in South Korea's digital-asset market. "South Korea is clearly a hub for digital assets," Chalom said. "Stablecoins, tokenization and DeFi are all closely tied to AI agents, so regulators also need to prepare for agent-based finance."

Lubin also called South Korea one of the countries at the forefront of digital assets and said he is watching with interest how the country will embrace agents going forward.

Kim Jin-seong / Jin Uk, Bloomingbit reporter