DeFi is a term used to describe any blockchain-based protocol that provides a decentralized financial service. Services can include decentralized exchanges (DEXs) for swapping assets and lending protocols for loaning and borrowing cryptoassets.
From a technology standpoint, cryptocurrencies involved in DeFi are exactly the same as any other cryptocurrency in the market. It’s only their functions that might be considered different. For example, some DeFi tokens provide users with governance powers to vote on important decisions related to the associated DeFi protocols.