Small-Cap Companies’ Altcoin Purchases Raise Market Manipulation Concerns – Coincu

A wave of small-cap companies has declared intentions to acquire sizable amounts of altcoins such as XRP and Solana, as reported by ChainCatcher via The Block.

Matthew Sigel of VanEck has raised alarms, questioning the actions as potential stock price manipulations to trigger pump-and-dump schemes.

Altcoin Acquisitions by Small-Cap Firms Raise Transparency Alarms

ChainCatcher reported recently that a number of small-cap companies are announcing plans to acquire popular altcoins like XRP and Solana. These companies, often from unrelated sectors, aim to make large purchases. Matthew Sigel, VanEck’s digital assets chief, has expressed skepticism, indicating that these endeavors might be strategies to inflate stock prices. He noted the lack of transparency and new investor disclosures as red flags, equating many actions to scams. The community has reacted with caution, raising concerns over whether these acquisitions are genuine or mere stock price manipulation tactics.

Critics on social platforms emphasize the absence of new investor details as a significant concern.

“Many are insiders trying to pump and dump; if the market cap is negligible and there are no new investors disclosed, I would consider this a scam.” – Matthew Sigel, Head of Digital Assets Research, VanEck

Regulatory Scrutiny Urged Amid Market Manipulation Concerns

Did you know? A similar surge in altcoin purchases by low-profile firms occurred in past cryptocurrency cycles, often leading to rapid, unsustainable price spikes in niche markets.

CoinMarketCap data shows XRP’s current price at $2.12 with a market cap of $124.74 billion, dominating 3.84% of the market. XRP trading volume in the last 24 hours reached $2.01 billion, declining by 57.37% with marginal price shifts of -0.47% in 24 hours and -2.82% over a week.

Coincu researchers suggest caution, noting potential regulatory repercussions and market volatility. The lack of financial transparency and investor information around these purchases presents significant concerns, warranting further regulatory scrutiny.