Smart contracts are convenient, but they are good for experienced people. DeFi tokens have been gaining momentum for a long time, their prices grow steadily, I recommend you to have a look at the history of UNI, LEND, COMP.
Regardless of the fact that DeFi tokens don’t enjoy high market cap, they have more prospects in the long-term run, these coins are less vulnerable to inflation. In addition, the system is completely decentralized, you don't have to worry about commissions and transaction intermediaries.
What are the other benefits of the coins mentioned above? I think you should start with small amounts of money, but I believe I will work with this project for a long time.