I think it wasn't about crypto prices but it was just merit system for sure. For those who makes this forum as source income either through bounty program or signature which pay in bitcoin they will hard to earn more as they can before the merit system came.
Have you consider, one people who have a bunch of alt account and he chooses one bounty campaign with his all account then how much money they will he get? (Let forget scam project) But since the merit system came they will focus to choose one account because he needs merit to make his account rank up. If he didn't do that and he still use all his account he will tired and will be useless moreover if the account is junior/member or even newbie.
Roger that