A key component of bitcoin is its decentralization (which effectively only exists with BTC and virtually nothing else). Part of this decentralization is the decentralization of the bitcoin nodes, which is owed to the fact that basically anybody can run a node (raspberry pi, bitcoin core software, a few other pieces, etc...) for a relatively cheap cost. I know this is why BCH hardforked off of BTC in 2017, since the latter refused to increase the block size to intentionally keep the chain small enough to be run by whomever. This makes a lot of sense to me.
However, what is going to happen when the bitcoin blockchain continues to increase in size over time? Even if the blocksize is kept constant, will the chain not eventually become unwieldy? Once it is the global base layer, will it not be too large of a chain for the everyday person to be able to download the chain and run the node? Will consensus allow for chopping off some portion of the earliest transactions that everyone has agreed upon? There are obvious downsides to this. What is the solution?