One of the most exciting developments in blockchain technology has been the advent of decentralized finance (DeFi).  The term refers to a new class of protocols, applications, and ventures that use cryptocurrency and smart contracts to create open-source financial services. DeFi is important because it enables people without access or wealth to join the global economy.  

One question I get asked all the time is, "what are some good DeFi tokens?" Below are my top five picks for investors looking for these types of projects: 

MakerDAO ($MKR) - In the Maker Protocol, users can generate Dai by leveraging collateral assets approved by their governance system. The Dai is a decentralized cryptocurrency that is stable and resistant from hyperinflation due to its low volatility. $MRK is the protocol token that allows users to vote on the protocol. By holding $MKR, you have an asset that is building the future of finance.

PancakeSwap ($CAKE) - Pancake is a decentralized exchange built on the Binance Smart Chain. It supports many native BSC tokens which can be exchanged on the platform. $CAKE is the native token on the platform that can be used to trade, pool, and earn in yield farms. Imagine owning equity in the Toronto Stock Exchange and getting paid a percentage of all the trading revenue happening. That’s the power of $CAKE. Hold $CAKE in the Auto compounding pool for maximum ROI.

Ethereum ($ETH) - For obvious reasons, it’s the backbone of DeFi and where it all started, by market cap also in the top 3 cryptocurrencies. By holding $ETH in your wallet, you have exposure to the growth of the DeFi space. Different from BTC, ETH is notable crypto to hold on to. 

SushiSwap ($SWAP) - SushiSwap is an Ethereum-based DEX that offers both a native token and the ability to swap ether for tokens. The SushiSwap Token ($SWAP) is used as a utility token within the platform, which provides benefits such as discounts on trading fees. 

Chainlink ($LINK) - ChainLink is a blockchain-based middleware that allows smart contracts on various networks to connect with the critical resources they need. It is designed to bridge blockchains and internet applications by acting as an oracle for data feeds, APIs, and Web3 endpoints. Chainlink’s goal is to provide secure access to these resources without sacrificing the decentralization of blockchains.  

These five projects have proven track records with strong fundamentals backing them up, so they're worth considering as a good hold strategy that you can do much more with once you are on their platforms.