> A month or two ago, sure - TX congestion had driven up fees to ridiculous levels. Now that the congestion has cleared, I can once again send hundreds of thousands of USD across the world for less than a dollar.

Congestion has only cleared because the transaction volume has fallen to a two-year low:

https://bitinfocharts.com/comparison/transactions-btc-sma3.h...

The bubble is deflating, in case you haven't noticed.