Those are excellent points. I also wonder what is going on. I believe close to 60% of all BTC is in cold storage. That leaves just a little on the market to be bought and sold. Big money could still move the market and give a certain perception of price reality that is not always true. I do think that some want to discourage people from holding long term and sell out of frustration. The ultimate goal, of powerful groups, is to control 1% of BTC (each group having 1%). 1% is all that is needed for political and commercial influence once blockchain and crypto currencies take over the old monetary system. BCH is an attempt to stick to the original intent of Bitcoin (a low cost daily digital currency use case, like buying coffee with). I do not have inside information on this. I just think like you do and try to figure out what is going on in the background. Good work on your articles, they really are of value to the reader.