Tom Lee responds to criticism after being called "stupid" for being optimistic about Ethereum.

At the Token 2049 conference, the founder and director of research at Fundstrat Global Advisors, Mr. Tom Lee, openly responded to critical comments from Andrew Kang, a partner at Mechanism Capital. Earlier, Kang had called Lee's optimistic view on Ethereum (ETH) "stupid," arguing that he had overestimated the potential of this coin in the context of fierce competition among layer-1 blockchains.

In response, Tom Lee stated that he is not bothered by the mockery and even sees it as a compliment:

"In the crypto world, being called 'stupid' is actually a good thing. I take it as a compliment. I am 'ETH-tarded.'"

Lee's statement received much laughter and support from the audience, showing that he still holds a positive stance on Ethereum despite the doubts from investors.

Tom Lee is one of the most famous analysts on Wall Street who supports cryptocurrency. He predicted early on that Bitcoin would reach new highs in 2025 and believes that Ethereum is in the early stages of a strong growth cycle due to the expansion of DeFi applications and stablecoins.

Meanwhile, critics like Andrew Kang argue that Ethereum is gradually losing its appeal against competitors like Solana or Base, while also stating that this network is facing issues with transaction fees and scalability.

Despite the ongoing debate, Lee's statement once again highlights the clear divide between the "ETH bull" camp and skeptics within the crypto community.