By 2021 I predict big companies like Steam, eBay or even Amazon starting to accept Bitcoin payments through a much more robust and user friendly LN. Coupled with the store of value properties which will remain as solid as always, the combination will make the price go beyond $100,000.
Hard to time it, but three years is definitely possible. The supply is so limited and blow-off tops are so unpredictable that tagging $100,000 was possible this year (though clearly won't happen now). But that's the thing about hype cycles. Fundamentals aren't very important during strong trending markets.
Anyway, I think Bitcoin's headed there regardless of Lightning.
I wish you are right - but that scenario is overly optimistic. Steam used to accept Bitcoin and that option has been removed some time ago.
There is no telling if Gabe will be eager to accept Bitcoin again anytime soon, if ever.
Caring about merchant adoption? What is this, 2014?! If people are adopting BTC as a store-of-value (rather than a micropayment rail) then we don't need Steam et al.
I believe the #1 priority for Bitcoin is and must be store of value properties, and we already got these, anyone that wanted could diversify their portfolios and hold Bitcoin.
The Winklevoss brothers for instance are pioneers at this, and more will follow, driving the price up. These people tend to be long term holders, so once they buy, these coins will be out of the market, driving the price up permanently.
As to "we don't need LN to go to the moon". We don't, if we get the big whales to diversify within Bitcoin, and I believe it eventually will happen, like I said, other whales will follow Winkevoss footsteps, but it is also a good thing to have a payments solutions on top of Bitcoin, if the demand comes, you must be ready, mostly to avoid all that bad press about insane fees and bad transaction times. Im just not so sure about Bitcoin being a viable store of value if we get permanent bad press about how the fees and the transactions are a mess for these wanting to transact. For us holders that us irrelevant, but you don't want that constant FUD on the mainstream media, so if LN solves that, it's better than nothing. Just imagine that Gabe decides to accept Bitcoin again... if Bitcoin doesn't have a proper way to deal with more transactions, they would probably pick BCash, and we don't really want that don't we?