I think the way to go is by using payment channels which can be set up as an address on the blockchain, and then used repeatedly off-chain.
Doing this with a properly set up network (the so called Lightning network) of intermediaries (who don't need to be trusted) will mean far fewer blockchain transactions - and another advantage is that payments are instant. If it happens, bitcoin would (and could) definitely absorb new users.
I'm not sure what the current status is. Last I heard a soft fork is needed to add OP codes.
I'd love it to happen - in my opinion, this is the smart solution to the scaling problem.
quite illusive.
the discussion about the maximum block size is flanked by too many different arguments.
Proposals differ from the kind of your suggestion to just doing nothing.
As the size was very much larger at the beginning, it is most likely this is going to happen.
Why?
the 1MB is not an elementary part of BTC.
and, it is the best solution in terms of complexity. Much easier to implement than splitting it up.
Kicking the can down the road, is by what I undertood, a mere politcal statement.
Not the most senseful in terms of BTC.
