Ava Labs Chief Business Officer John Nahas says the crypto market is in a "teenage pubescent phase" with prices down but states he has "never been more bullish." Speaking at the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium 2026, Nahas noted the industry is catching up to real-world use cases including enterprise payments, government adoption, identity solutions, and World Cup ticketing. Bitcoin trades above $78,000 and Ether above $2,400 after sharp rebounds. Nahas emphasized Avalanche's focus on narrative-driven short cycles rather than traditional speculation, alongside its edge in enabling custom jurisdiction-compliant Layer 1 blockchains. The firm is also undergoing a leadership change, with President John Wu becoming a senior adviser and former COO Charley Cooper assuming the presidency while retaining his COO title.