Best DeFi Coins To Invest In 2025

Are you curious about the world of DeFi and want to know which coins are worth keeping an eye on? In this section, we’ll break down the most exciting and established DeFi projects. Below, you’ll get an analysis of what makes each token special, how it works, and why they make the list. So let’s jump in and explore what the best DeFi has to offer. 

LINK is the native token of the Chainlink network, which is a decentralized oracle. It enables smart contracts across various blockchains to interact with real-world data feeds, events, and payment methods. It is one of the earliest DeFi protocols, launched in 2017. 

The main purpose of the token is to pay for services on the Chainlink network – it powers the architecture by requesting contract holders pay node operators in LINK to fulfill their data requests. Adding to this, LINK can be earned via a stacking mechanism in the protocol.

Why did we choose LINK?

LINK has seen incredible adoption over the years and is always one of the leading coins by market cap. Chainlink pioneered the oracle concept, helping to merge the real world with blockchain technology networks. It is certainly a key player in moving toward mainstream adoption. The LINK token is key to the protocol’s operation, so as Chainlink continues to grow, so will this leading DeFi coin.

DAI is an integral coin to the MakerDAO, which aims to be an unbiased, and decentralized financial system. The coin is branded as better, smarter currency that can be used anywhere, anytime, by anyone. One of the best coins that represents physical assets is this one, which is 1:1 pegged to the US dollar and is a stable currency.

As a DeFi stablecoin, it enables permissionless financial transactions, and a store of value in a volatile market. Users can create new DAI by depositing Ethereum as collateral. Then, the DAI can be used across a number of networks as a financial transaction. It is often staked to provide lending and users can act as liquidity providers in exchange for rewards. 

Why Did We Choose DAI?

DAI is now in widespread use across the DeFi ecosystem and has built a market cap of over $5 billion. It was one of the first decentralized stablecoins that embarked on the journey in competition with traditional financial products. The coin is integral to many of the 400+ DeFi applications integrated with MakerDAO. For investors, it also provides access to stable value, which is crucial for sustainable DeFi operations.

UNI is the native token for one of the well-established decentralized exchanges that launched in 2018 on the DeFi Ethereum blockchain network. Users can trade ERC-20 tokens in a peer-to-peer fashion directly from their DeFi wallet. Its automated market maker (AMM) model was groundbreaking in delivering high liquidity with low fees. 

Holding the UNI token gives users a say in the governance of the Uniswap protocol. They are rewarded for liquidity and longevity by agreeing not to sell or trade their holdings. Uniswap charges a 0.3% fee on each trade to fund and reward its community. 

Why Did We Choose UNI?

Uniswap has grown to become one of the most well-known decentralized exchanges, which often records trading volumes of over $1 billion a day. This gives the UNI token incredible strength, with a market cap exceeding $4 billion. It is a pioneering and dominant player in the DeFi DEX space with continual upgrades and improvements like Uniswap V3.

STX is the native DeFi protocol token of the Stacks network, a layer-1 blockchain bringing smart contracts and decentralized apps (dApps) to Bitcoin. Launched in 2017, the project uses clarity programming language in order to facilitate these smart contracts with Bitcoin. This opens up innovation, like stacking mechanisms for the original cryptocurrency. STX powers the smart contracts and is used to pay transaction fees. 

STX token holders lock their tokens to the protocol, allowing them to earn Bitcoin. This is done through ‘Stacking’ (not staking), which rewards Stack miners for securing the network. 

Why Did We Choose STX?

STX enables a new layer of DeFi protocol on the Bitcoin blockchain – a huge step forward. It’s an unsung hero in the space, even though it’s accrued more than $2 billion market cap. It simply had to be included as a top choice with its unique approach to combining Bitcoin with smart contracts to bridge the gap between Bitcoin and DeFi. For the first time, this made it possible to earn Bitcoin passively by locking tokens from another protocol. 

AAVE is the native token of the Aave protocol, a decentralized lending platform enabling users to lend and borrow a selection of cryptocurrencies. Launched in 2020, it offers industry-leading features, including flash loans, collateral swapping, and earn interest. Aave serves various functions in the ecosystem. Holders can partake in governance decisions while staking provides rewards and security. Plus holding Aave gives fee discounts on transactions. 

Why Did We Choose AAVE?

Aave is a real winner to emerge from the DeFi space, even in the face of stiff competition over the last 4 years. The total locked value (TVL) on the protocol is over $10 billion which has led to the Aave coin enjoying a nearly $2 billion market cap. The introduction of flash loads, strong user base, high utility, and continual feature upgrades all keep the project at the front of the industry.

INJ is the native token on the Injective network, which is a blockchain that supports DeFi applications. It’s fast, secure, and interoperable across chains. The coin enables users to build and use the best Web 3 applications to shape the future of finance. The INJ token powers the auto-executing smart contracts that run the dApps. Adding to this, it enables governance and yields via staking on this proof-of-stake network.

Why Did We Choose INJ?

INJ is fast becoming an important part of the DeFi ecosystem. The growing number of developers building using Injective keeps adding strength to this coin. Since its launch, it’s risen to gather more than $1.5 billion market cap thanks to its utility across the space coupled with super low transaction fees.  

The MKR token is used to manage DAI in the MakerDAO Protocol. This decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) is made up of MKR stakeholders who are responsible for the governance of the protocol. With the coin, they can ensure DAI’s stability and transparency and cast their votes for protocol updates. It’s an interesting element of the project as MKR is so much a ‘currency’ as it is a DeFi management tool. It is still traded and used freely, like many cryptocurrencies.

Why Did We Choose MKR?

The importance of MakerDAO and DAI in the DeFi ecosystem means MKR becomes too important to ignore. It’s an innovative balance to bringing decentralized management to a DeFi coin. That doesn’t go unnoticed in the community, with a market cap exceeding $1.5 billion and daily trading volumes of well over $50 million. If DAI is the top DeFi coin then MKR is naturally important for those who want a say in the future of DeFi.

GRT is the native token on The Graph, a decentralized protocol for indexing and querying data from blockchains. It allows DeFi developers to access, search, and use public data without needing their own data server.

It’s an important piece of infrastructure to reduce costs and increase uptime for dApps. The GRT token is used for payments and use of the network. Adding to this, GRT’s tokenomics include the issuance of new tokens, staking, deposit taxes, and governance decisions. 

Why Did We Choose GRT?

As The Graph network expands, GRT could become a vital token powering links between DeFi applications, especially as it adapts to provide cross-chain support. As with all the best DeFi coins, its market cap is reassuring over $1 billion with more than $35 million daily trading volume. 

RUNE is the native token on THORChain, a DEX enabling people to swap assets across different blockchains without losing custody of their assets. It is one of the older DeFi projects after its launch by an anonymous team in 2018.

RUNE is used to secure the platform, and it deterministically accrues value as more assets are added to the network. Users can earn RUNE through staking, liquidity pools, bonding nodes, and double swapping.

Why Did We Choose RUNE?

RUNE has all the stats of the top DeFi coins – over $1 billion market cap, more than $100 million daily trading volume, and $285 million total locked value. Adding to this, the user base and liquidity are constantly growing thanks to the unique cross-chain liquidity solution. It delivers a seamless way to trade assets across chains, thereby enhancing DeFi’s interoperability. 

FTM is the native token powering the Fantom blockchain network, which provides high-performance and scalable smart contracts. The network launched in 2018 and is known for high throughput and low latency. Its design means it can scale to handle tens of thousands of DeFi transactions per second.

The FTM token is used for staking, voting, payments, and transaction fees. Users can stake FTM in exchange for rewards, plus it is used to mint sFTm, which can be deployed in Fantom’s DeFi apps. 

Why Did We Choose FTM?

Fantom helps unleash new waves of innovation, particularly for visionary developers building the newest dApps. It already has a thriving ecosystem with hundreds of DeFi, NFT, and Gaming apps. Of course, FTM is crucial to these operations, which is why it has built a market cap of more than $1 billion and a daily trading volume of $130 million.

JUP is the native token for Jupiter, a Solana-based DEX aggregator that optimizes the best swap between token pairs. The network launched in 2021 and quickly became a leading DeFi project on Solana. It aims to improve the user trading experience, maximize Solana’s capabilities, and add liquidity to the ecosystem. The JUP token allows holders to approve and vote on the governance of the Jupiter platform. 

Why Did We Choose JUP?

JUP has shown steady growth in its user base. As it continues to grow, Jupiter could be to Solana, what Uniswap is to Ethereum – the go-to DEX for the blockchain. Because of this, JUP has huge potential in the ecosystem; it is already one of the top-traded Solana coins. With cheap, easy, and cross-chain interoperability, it is a strong long-term DeFi choice. 

Here are the top 10 DeFi Coins only by their market cap:

Exchanges

First off, exchanges provide a reliable way to find new DeFi coin prices and investments. Particularly if you’re using major players like Coinbase, Binance, or Uniswap. This is for a number of reasons. If a new coin is listed with these exchanges, it adds a layer of credibility to a project. Adding to this, listing with big exchanges helps to boost the liquidity of a coin, improving the chances you’ll be able to trade it easily. Handily, these trusted platforms will openly announce new coin listings on their social media and blogs. So they’re easy to follow and check for new updates to the ecosystem.

Data Aggregators

Data aggregators are ideal for picking out the biggest movers and shakers in the DeFi world. On these platforms, top cryptocurrencies are ranked based on market cap, trading volume, and pierce movements. The coinpress market prices can help with this, along with dedicated platforms like CoinMarketCap. Adding to this, DeFiLlama is dubbed the ‘DeFi Dashboard’ as it gives you even deeper insight into the space. You can find coins based on metrics including TVL, Category, Revenue, and Trading Volume.

Social Media

To stay at the forefront of news and debates, social media is a sharp tool in your penknife. Although, it can be tough to cut through the noise. X and Telegram are known as the top platforms where the crypto community hangs out, according to a recent CoinGecko survey. In fact, 4 in 5 crypto users spend most of their time on those two platforms along with Youtube.

X is a great place to grab breaking news and updates on DeFi protocols. While joining Telegram channels can give you insight into new coins or community updates on your favorite projects. YouTube is filled with influencers who are doing the hard work of researching and curating eye-catching projects. Adding to this, joining Discord servers adds another blade to your tool kit in hunting down the top DeFi tokens to buy. 

Tools

There are several specialist tools to help you verify the validity of a coin. Kryptview is a handy tool that operates as a peer-to-peer scoring app. The community works together to rate tokens based on hundreds of data points.  Over on WhatTheFork, you’ll find a curator for different coin forks. This includes new launches and common DeFi forks that come off the back of OlympusDAO. Plus, to help keep you safe, Token Sniffer is a smart contract scan scanner monitoring over two million tokens, including those on Ethereum, Polygon, and BNB Chain.

Finding new DeFi coins is one thing, but how do you know if they are any good? Well, you need to do some research on your target. 

Use Cases

Underneath all the technical jargon, DeFi coins are products that should serve a purpose. Whether that’s payment methods, trading functionality, or innovative actions. You always need to be thinking about the use case…

The best DeFi crypto coins serve an important purpose in their protocols. That could be allowing holders to vote on governance decisions, deliver liquidity to trading pools, or provide security through proof-of-stake. 

For example, AAVE can be used as collateral for loans and for paying fees. Meanwhile, DAI acts as a reserve stablecoin for the Maker network and wider DeFi space.

Always ask yourself, ‘What’s the use case here?’

Liquidity

New DeFi investors often get burned by liquidity problems with new coins. It’s a problem the industry has faced, although DeFi 2.0 crypto protocols are helping to solve the issue. 

In simple terms, a coin needs a large enough supply of people to supply liquidity. These are funds used to enable the efficient buying and selling of assets. Without this, it can be hard to sell a coin you hold. You might end up being unable to offload assets for projects that haven’t achieved deep liquidity. 

TVL

Total value locked (TVL) is the amount of funds, usually measured in US Dollars, that are locked to a protocol. This signifies the world’s confidence and commitment to a project. It shows the value of digital assets staked to a network to provide security and liquidity to a protocol. It’s a useful metric to measure the growth or decline of a coin. Overall it’s a strong indicator of the best DeFi projects to invest in and the overall health of a DeFi cryptocurrency ecosystem.