i'm always amazed at how little devs know about markets.  They rapidly distance themselves from the idea of a "defense" fund.  
Companies listed on global exchanges always have a market strategy.  They are constantly buying and selling their own stock at key technical levels.  If you think your coin / product  is valuable and has potential, this is one of the ways you show it.  You show investors that your product has value and price is an indicator of what that value is.  
This is called a market strategy.  And in the altcoin environment, I'd say its essential to growing a market in a healthy and sustainable way.
Competition is FIERCE.   There are No guarantees that volume will return.