I couldn't point to anything specific besides general human nature and in my opinion that suggests that if it can be done for a profit it will be done.

So to me it seems highly unlikely that there isn't some flavor of manipulation going on. There are random alt coins with multi-billion dollar market caps. There are fortunes being minted, people are surely manipulating something.

I think the interesting question though is will the world long term become the new manipulated view or will it eventually all just fall part.