I'm sure there are whales or groups of investors who are trying to manipulate the prices of coins with low market cap. Such situations will always happen. However, the overall trend is improving and it looks like the bulls have come back to push the price for new ATH.
For low cap coins, they really are easy to manipulate. That's why if you're investing on those coins whether it's bull market or bear.
You still have to be careful and do not be too excited that you'll gain tremendously with those because they're the ones that are very prone to pump and dump.
Not only low cap coin, even bitcoin can easily be manipulated or a high cap altcoins. Manipualtion comes in different ways, it could be using a popular personality to cause hype or panic to the market, just like what Elon Musk did, he is responsible for making DOGE into its position now.
Bitcoin can be manipulated by the whales. But I think soon once it's already that high in market cap, those typical whales that are moving its market will have the difficulty to do the same thing that they've used to do.
These popular people can manipulate the market but I really think the time will come that everyone is man up and smart enough not to listen and panic with those words they speak.