What Has Brought Value To The Top 10 Cryptos

I have a question for all of you Bitcoin / Altcoin buffs out there.

Why are the top 10 crypto currencies today within the top 10?

What I mean is this; what aspect of each of these coins has pushed their individual value to the level it is at today. I think it would be beneficial for anyone interested in investing to fully understand what has driven each project to the immensely high valuation it has today. What technology has each of them implemented to differentiate itself from the thousands of other cryptos out there? Is it just market hype within each of the coins or are there some fundamental qualities that each coin possesses that have aided in it becoming so widespread and invested in. This knowledge would help anyone out there in investing in future currencies as well as some of these established ones as well in attempt to find/ figure out how to go about choosing coins with the most room for potential investment gain.