I agree with you, last quarter of 2017 is a miracle for bitcoin and now is the time to make that happen again. I hope at least we can see bitcoin in 10.000$ in the next 1 - 2 months.
there was some manipulation, there was also Wall Street getting involved. It's quite funny that no one call it manipulation when the price pumps like crazy, but loads of holders call it manipulation when the price crashes.It goes both ways.
As a holder, you have nothing to do but "hope" that these manipulations happen again to pump the price up, then sell, and buy again when the price crashes.
Anyway, if what Andreas Antonopoulos say about the ETF is true, then it will happen, possibly making the price a little more stable, at least it may become less easy for the whales to manipulate the price up and down. Wait & see.