The goal of expert testimony is not to find the best technical solution. The goal is to adjudicate a dispute. So yes, objective qualifications trump subjective ones, and that shouldn't be surprising or disappointing.

All of the qualifications you list amount to subjective evidence of clout in an obscure (to non-programmers) programming clique.

On the other hand, the certificate from a Blockchain University probably had a well defined curriculum and criteria for passing.