The popularity surrounding Bitcoin these days has led towards an astronomical rise in transaction fees. Whereas a 70 sats/byte fee settled in a couple of hours, now it takes days to confirm on the blockchain. I've made a transaction on April 17th, 2021 only to find that it's still unconfirmed to this point. Based on Mempool Observer, fees have risen well above 150 sats/byte. Prices have declined a bit on the market, so that's a temporary relief for hardcore Bitcoin users like myself. But what if prices in terms of USD continue to rise alongside network fees? Only whales will be able to use Bitcoin, while the rest will be forced to use the Lightning Network or another cryptocurrency for day-to-day transactions. The former option is still not stable enough for mainstream use (despite having a stable release), so most of us are stuck with option number two (altcoins).

I'm starting to wonder, what's next in stake for Bitcoin? Will fees continue to soar all the way to the moon? Or will they settle at some point? Which short term solutions are developers working on to tackle high fees (besides the Lightning Network)? Also, how long will a transaction with a mid-to-low fee will take to confirm on the Blockchain? Your input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks