When the algorithm was coded, they didn't know those things. It could have worked equally well with minuscule volume. Supply and price could have multipled by a million with no new investment.

A Ponzi uses new investments to pay interest. If it doesn't get exponentially increasing revenue it collapses. Paying someone in more tokens or stock is different. If it collapses, it's for different reasons under different circumstances.

It's a lot easier to fabricate market cap than to fabricate cash.