If Bitcoin were to move sideways forever, would you still believe in it?

I feel like most people nowadays treat bitcoin as merely a ticket to financial freedom. The major discussion revolves mostly around whether we can predict a pump or crash, and speculation about increased adoption are only discussed as this could lead to a price surge. Not as a goal on its own. Everyone is encouraging others to simply hold for investment purposes.

This makes me genuinely curious, and I'm not even sure myself, but would you still hold bitcoin if it would be impossible to use it as a proper investment? Solely as a peer-to-peer currency or a decentralised storage of value?

This discussion has gotten more important since the increased hype around stablecoins. The use cases of stablecoins are dominating the news headlines lately. Companies like Paypal are creating stablecoins for e-commerce purposes, while governments like that of the US may use them as a strategic tool to strengthen their grip on the global economy. Don't you think that they're stealing some of Bitcoin's magic?

Bitcoin aims to democratize the use of currency. But do you think that as of 2025, we are still pathing towards this objective?

EDIT: I think I should have added the word "hypothetical" to the title. Too many people are trying to convince me of the impossibility of this thought experiment. Also some typos.