Of course it's being manipulated. Crypto markets are constantly being manipulated. Just look at the extent of the jumps and the timings. Steem has such a small market cap, it wouldn't take much to bring it to $1+. Then again, it wouldn't take much to bring back to 7c.

I say enjoy the ride. Unless of course you actually need your crpto to pay bills and stuff. In that case, you might be buggered.