Tricky problem. I’d probably buy some ETH/FTM/DOT to cover speculation on the infra side. Then get some YFI/AAVE/SNX/ROOK to cover the app speculation although there’s hundreds here to choose from.

The approach I’m taking is a blockchain agnostic one. There’s lots of middleware projects with tokens such as GRT, REN and LINK. I see middleware growing really as it has utility in defi but also other applications.

Ethereum (ETH) and DeFi Pulse Index (DPI). Everything is built on Ethereum so the value of the network will be reflected in ETH. There are a few groups working in how to calculate the total value on chain as well as how this value should be related to and reflected in the price. DPI is a basket of DeFi tokens so you'll receive exposure to the big players through asset. You can think of this like an ETF.

Unless you feel like really high stakes and/or getting really involved in keeping up with the nitty gritty, go for core infra stuff.

For the past 5 years and the foreseeable short-to midterm. that mainly means ETH (Ethereum), preferably hedged by smaller positions in one or a handful of similarly scoped projects that could end up eating its mind- and marketshare (I won’t judge which are better bets but some candidates would be Polkadot, Cardano, Solana, Tezos. Stay away from EOS and Ripple, there’s nothing behind their curtains)

Other more specific projects mentioned here like LINK, REN, various defi-specific solutions like AAVE/Uniswap, are more perennial and more suited for someone who actually uses these protocols or services, not something I would see as an investment.

Ethereum seems to have the best network effects, developer community and actual capital running on it. If eth2 succeeds, it would probably be the winner, but there are lots of challengers, like polkadot.

You might get yourself some BTC (as a reserve asset for defi), some ETH (as the oil or the machinery which makes the smart contracts go around) and maybe some DOT in case eth2 fails and dot delivers.

p.s. personal opinions, not responsible for losses, etc etc.

buy etherum