@knircky! For a long time I have't read so reasonable view on crypto sphere. So i must contribute some of my thoughts about evaluating cryptos.

Do we need to evaluate cryptocurrency differently?

Definitively we have to develop new approaches. As you mentioned open mind is crucial factor. There is so many new phenomena to explore in crypto space that we have put all our effort in spotting new patterns never to be discovered yet. More we can detect the better will go along in coining our profits.
Thanks for finding this NVT signal thing. I think that more innovative gauges and tools will emerge and we have to keep exploring that stuff to be able for new discoveries.

What are the criteria of evaluation?

I think that for now everything is running around Bitcoin. Still, all altcoins are highly correlated with Bitcoin. Bitcoin is like a whale all other small fish fallow him.
But on the other hand we have to observe any deviations from the main stream in all means. Here I think of properties like new technology breakthroughs, better connectivity with real word (and current financial system), good decentralization properties of particular projects and possible good hardware solutions in crypto sphere.

p.s. check my TA here @, it is still valid. I don't post about price movement three times a day as some TA prophets do here on Steemit. When I have to say something I try to make an important point as you done in this post here. Here @ is also a list of my older posts, in my opinion still worth to read.