The mask is off concerning every type of fascism and corruption, so yeah, I expect they will soon pull the plug on even the pretense of controlled "opposition" in the form of Gecko-based browsers

Perhaps Ladybird will emerge as the #2 alternative. They rely on commercial sponsors, most of which seem to be tech firms. So far, none are what I would call "tech giants," or GAFAM-scale outfits. But will they be able to say no to tech giants indefinitely? I wouldn't count on it, and even if they can maintain (relative) independence, if their audience share doesn't break into double digits, no websites will make any attempt to support it, let alone test on it.

The sheer complexity of the standards comprising the web stack is too complex for a standards-compliant browser to be realistic as a noncommercial, let alone "garage" project. Perhaps the indie parts of online culture should migrate en masse to Gemini, which can be supported by the kinds of technologies amateurs can implement successfully on their own time. Those indie types of course will still use main$tream browsers for their online banking or whatever, but it's a start.