I believe so too.. I think 2018 will not end without this happening. Bitcoin's value will skyrocket exponentially with the launch of the lightning network.
The lightening network is exactly what this market needs right now for the price to rise and for us to go into the next bull market. The market has so much more to do and as OP said we are just at the beginning of it, we are the early birds which means we will make the most, once that lightening network goes into effect there will be a price hike which might trigger the next bull market.