I do not expect a nobel prize-winning economist to say something like this. They will not know anything about bitcoin but prefer to start misinforming people and feeding them with wrong information.
Bitcoin pave ways to other cryptocurrencies. Exchanges then were created. Wallets were created. Many other businesses were created. These businesses employed people. The people they employed buy things which is an indirect means of helping economy.
If you hold bitcoin and earn money from it, that will indirectly help economy.
How about miners. There are bitcoin miners. They create job and pay money for electricity.
If that man know how bitcoin and crypto has created jobs and opportunities to people, he will not say such thing.
You are absolutely correct and I completely agree with you 100 %, people are only being judgemental towards Bitcoin merely without having a second thought of what they are talking about. However, I will personally assume that it could only be being Short sighted/failing and refusing to see the true potentials that Bitcoin holds over this years of it's invention, the importance of Bitcoin as one of the best if not the best when it come digital asset class can not be overly emphasis as it is too numerous to mention, but well those who antagonise Bitcoin in the past are still regretting and the same will surely happen to those doing it now.