Maybe: Crypto-currencies get regulated/taxed by various states/nations to ensure their energy security Maybe: Crypto-currencies face court cases which try to d

Maybe: Crypto-currencies get regulated/taxed by various states/nations to ensure their energy security Maybe: Crypto-currencies face court cases which try to determine what is actually owned legally, potentially undermining them. Amazon faces a existential legal threat over counterfeit goods. They pay the settlement with AWS revenue, which by that point provides the majority of their income. Younger generations develop an "in-real-life" counter culture, leading to financial volatility for existing social networks. In general, the attention economy matures, flattening corporate revenues year over year. The federal government and state AGs prosecute major court cases against parties involved in textbook sales for illegal and anti-competitive behaviors. A "Trader Joes"-style university emerges with a reasonably high quality, relatively inexpensive, accredited undergraduate education, with all course materials produced under the university brand. It runs year-round, has no tenure, and pays professors relatively well with standard benefits. The new university and its copy-cat competition create economic pressure on traditional academic institutions that have become administratively heavy over the previous three decades and, in some cases, have substantial construction debts that are now under increased interest rate pressure. Maybe (related): Congress passes, and the president signs, a bill reintroducing bankruptcy discharge of student debt, possibly hidden in a must-pass omnibus spending bill. Finally, for remaining in-use 32-bit unix-based systems, the 2038 problem is now 10 years closer.