gREAT POST, cAPSLOCK!
1. We are obviously entering a new era
Bitcoin/crypto advocacy in various areas of government
rolling out as a Bitcoin first, but crypto agnostic push
I agree it's already plain to see.
2. smart countries are front-running the US
Czech Republic is the latest. The president of its CB, no less, is advocating for some 2%-5% bitcoin reserve. Well of course it counts next to nothing, with the ECB looming above, but it's still a sight for sore eyes IMHO. Or a sound for sore ears if you're musically oriented.
PAYMENTS is it's own thing.
Among the points you make, this is the one with the foggiest developments. Surely it's because there is still a technological gap to be filled, as you said. If a technically sound solution had already won over the others, it would be an easy path onwards. But, fond of Lightning, Liquid or eCash as any one of us might be, they aren't yet there. And we have lurkers crawling in the dark (did I hear anyone say 'ripple'?)
This cannot happen over night.
It's too gigantic to just flip over and suddenly the bankers are jumping out of windows like that song someone posted way back.
Interesting times we live in, for sure.
5. The Powers That Be. As in the Central Banks.
they are going to use their nearly unfatrhomable power to fight Bitcoin with all they have.
And THAT... means... --sigh-- shitcoinery.
Especially CBDCs. The very elite of shitcoins. Enforced by an army and/or police. There's a dystopian future to be had here. Money that can be tagged "This dollar can only buy state-approved food". "This dollar can't be spent abroad". It could get worse. Programmable inflation. "This dollar expires if unspent in 2 months". "This dollar will be worth 80 cents in 2028". We must fight that as hard as we can while it's in the beginning stages.
And as odd as it might seem... all the disastrous chaos we are about to see is a part of it.
No revolution has no victims. Let's try not to be that. Hodl.