This is an interesting article on crypto-coins, the blockchain, smart-contracts and how it could be used for good or evil (if the A.I / robotics race does not finish us off first...).
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/ ... nd/528543/
It's hard to predict if the whole thing will blow up or it goes like the internet (who needs that?) and computers (64kb memory is more than enough).
Right now the price increase seems fueled by VC and other investors + a minority of the general public, driven by news and hype. Sure, we will see crashes at various intervals but the top 5 coins will likely keep going.
They might change over time as better techniques come out. Right now BTC is gold and Ethereum is silver. If coins become less volatile and the general public has a use for them the current prices are peanuts.
Be smart, take your investments out and play around with your profits. Use kraken or other trading platforms to sell at a fixed price so not all of your profits will be lost during a big crash. Stuff happens fast so it is entirely possible to wake up and see your coin has been wiped out overnight.