I've been hearing people talk about "modular chains" lately. Basically, the only two changes for end users are: one, transaction fees and lag might become more stable; two, there will be more networks to switch between in your wallet... The experience might not necessarily be simpler, but more like transferring at different highway intersections.

For someone like me who was educated to zero out, my main concern is: with more bridges, contracts, and sorting steps involved in cross-chain transfers, the risk of errors also increases. Don't just focus on "faster and cheaper."
This wave of testnet incentives and points expectations, everyone is guessing whether the mainnet will issue tokens. I will also try, but the rules are set first: not to consider "possible airdrops" as income, but treat time and gas as costs.
As for what I call "long-term," it's probably about a quarter now. Only those who can endure three months and are willing to review afterward are truly considered long-term.