Bitcoin made big gains in the beginning because of its structure and concept. After a skyrocketing price was obtained, I believe that the "powers that be" or those that print, mostly digitally create the world reserve currency, decided that they could purchase large amounts of Bitcoin. Therefore drive the price even higher and begin to gain some control in a system that they had no control over.
When crypto currencies finally put themselves in a position where the public took notice, they also had to make a move that enabled them to retain the freedom of markets they were designed to do in the first place. This is about the time period when Bitcoin split and created Bitcoin Cash, like all good strategies, the split was said to increase the size of the block, and therefore make transaction times faster, which it did. But it also created an alternative angle for the people that were there in the beginning, that truly built the structure. They all received Bitcoin Cash based on the amount of Bitcoin they held, but only when the split took place. Everyone spending huge amounts of currency to get in afterwords were out of that loop, and therefore had to purchase Bitcoin Cash separately.
Of course, if creating cash out of thin air is what you do, this is no challenge what so ever.
Part of the idea behind Crypto currencies was to eliminate the banking system as we know it. Until that system is taken down, the bankers will always create there power out of thin air and manipulate any and every system that remotely stands in there way. As long as they can purchase in U.S. Dollars, Japanese Yen, or any other currency they can create for nothing, we'll have a constant cat and mouse game taking place. Just remember who the mouse is if you're already playing this game.
All of the crypto currencies are now subject to this same manipulation. Weather the market cap is like Bitcoins, or something in the nature of Farstcoin, money is no object for those who want to maintain control over it. As long as they can purchase with money made from nothing, it's going to be incredibly hard to change their system. The concept behind Bitcoin, and many others for that matter is a great one. The only issue is that it, and/or they, didn't get big enough, fast enough, to destroy the "conventional" banking systems as we know it.
As soon as China's bank started to become involved in producing a government controlled form of there own, it was over for the way things were perceived by the rest of the world. Russia became involved shortly there after and the U.S. system was clearly behind in the new game. But they never had any innovation to start with, manipulation is and has always been there play of choice.
Take a look at this link from the builder of Dodgecoin, curtsy of Motherboard.vice.com..
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/9kng57/dogecoin-my-joke-cryptocurrency-hit-2-billion-jackson-palmer-opinion