If I'm investing in "hype" then fine. It might still go far but as long as I'm aware of it I can make a genuine assessment as to my own valuation. On the other hand if it's more than hype then equally, thats usefull to know. For example Peercoin has a genuinely thought out cryptoeconomic role as a 'backbone' mechanism for large financial transactions with appropriate transaction fees and associated properties to deter small transactions. (I'm not a holder). Darkcoin (potentially) has a trustless anonymous transmission feature which clearly gives it a role - even for holders of other currencies. NxT has a potentially self-sustaining business model in the form of network services which supply 3rd party asset holders.