The problem with forked projects is that they've failed in attracting a large number of investors into them. Part of that has to do with the fact that most people these days don't care about technology or the core beliefs of any given cryptocurrency. They just want to ride the hype and make a lot of money in the process. You can see why "shitcoins" and "memes" are even more popular than "classics" such as Bitcoin Cash and Ethereum Classic. And Bitcoin SV is not even mentioned anymore because of its ties with "Faketoshi" (aka Craig Wright). The community simply hates it.

So yeah, ETC will remain a lost and forgotten coin forever. At least, the Blockchain is healthy. Trading activity is on-going, too. Don't expect it to reach a new ATH, though. That's a "far-fetched dream". If there's a new ATH, it's because Bitcoin's surge in market price moved the rest of the altcoins with it. But on its own? ETC will never experience high market prices. Same as LTC, BCH, BSV, and DASH. It's time to move on and seek for other alternatives. That is if you're looking to make a return on your investment.