I can't help but question certain patterns that we all have probably witnessed at some point or another. Most easy to spot would be with lower volume coins obviously.
Often with certain altcoins Ill see trades of measly amounts, even as low as 1 or 2 to drive down the price. Is this a sign of price manipulation? All it would take is a well timed trade to set off a downtrend, especially at price points where the trade price is sensitive due to psychological factors.
So are we witnessing manipulation? With alt coins that I frequently witness these patterns, I notice the price seems to be held below a certain point consistently and it goes through the same price swings like clockwork.
You are always seeing price manipulation on different coins, and most of us know that it has been ongoing since the advent of crypto exchanges. Also, manipulation normally happens on low volume coins
first to cause some hype and to send signals that something is going to happen on these particular coins. Normally those are the right recipes for a pump and dump, thus manipulation still leads to a more obvious manipulation afterwards.